


The Stories In Between

by KittytheSheGeek



Series: Always and Forever [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Era, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Romance, canon compliant-sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27120823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittytheSheGeek/pseuds/KittytheSheGeek
Summary: *Set during Book 3, after the Southern Raiders. This fic mostly follows canon, filling in everything that happened between the episodes.*After finally putting her need for vengeance behind her, Katara finds it in her heart to forgive Zuko. But as the warm summer days pass on Ember Island, she begins to discover that there might be more in her heart than forgiveness.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: Always and Forever [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049126
Comments: 27
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely readers! This story is part 1 of 2 parts; this fic takes place during the end of Book 3 while the GAang is on Ember Island, and the second fic takes place after the events of the story (I will post a link once I start publishing it). It's been a while since I've written anything, so the first few chapters might be a bit messy. Please forgive me ^_^;
> 
> Also in later chapters, there will be scenes and dialogue lifted directly from the show; I do not claim ownership over any canon-compliant content and it is merely added to enhance the story. 
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> ****************************************************************************************************

The night they had arrived at Zuko’s family beach house everyone had excitedly explored their temporary new home, playfully fighting over who got what bedroom and exclaiming how wonderful it was to have a proper bathroom for once. Katara however had a hard time joining in. Her encounter with Yon Rha was still fresh in her mind, and though she had finally gotten closure, it had stirred up painful memories that she was finding hard to shake. She wandered into the house expertly dodging Aang and Sokka, who were running from room to room exclaiming about the size of the place, and headed up to the second floor where the bedrooms were located. 

She peeked into the first room she passed, quickly spotting Suki who had already claimed it and was unpacking. She gave her a quick smile before moving on. The room across the hall had a yellowed piece of parchment with fading ink that said two simple words: ‘Azula’s room’. She walked on, heartily passing on the chance to sleep in the former bedroom of the bloodthirsty Fire Princess. The room next to it looked promising however. She walked in and looked around the dust-covered room. Apart from the furniture and some boxes piled up in one corner, there didn’t seem to be much of anything inside. It would do. 

By the time everyone had picked their rooms and settled in, the exhaustion of the day started catching up to them. They ate a quick meal with their quickly dwindling supply of food, then one by one they trickled up to bed. But try as she might, Katara just couldn’t fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes she pictured Yon Rha standing in her home over her mother, and it made her blood boil. It didn’t help that the full moon had only just began to wane, and she could still feel the sinister pull that tempted her to bloodbend every time the moon was at its peak. With a heavy sigh, she flung the blankets off and got out of bed. She hadn’t really taken the time to explore the house yet, but she knew her way back to the small dock on the beach and that seemed like a good enough place to go, so she tip-toed out into the hall and down the stairs. 

The night air was cool on her skin and was a welcome reprieve from the stuffy air inside the beach house. She could already feel the fog in her mind beginning to lift as she wandered down the beach towards the dock. She walked down to the end and sat on the edge, dangling her feet into the gently rolling waves. She closed her eyes and turned her face towards the moonlight, breathing in the salt-water air like a salve for her soul. This was exactly what she needed. She hadn’t had the chance to be alone with her thoughts since returning to the group, and all she really needed was some time to decompress after the emotional turmoil of the past couple of days. She had resolved her issues with Zuko and put the past behind her, but she needed to adjust to this new shift in her emotions, and that was hard to do with Aang at her heels gushing about how proud he was that she had decided not to take vengeance on the man who had murdered her mother.

After a few minutes Katara opened her eyes and turned them to the moon, letting out a peaceful sigh. She felt lighter, as if she had finally let go of the last few wisps of resentment she had been clinging to. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” a quiet voice said from behind her.

Katara jumped and instinctively sent a whip of water towards the source of the voice, which was immediately blocked with a small blast of flame that illuminated the silvery glow of the night with a bright flash that made her flinch. 

“Zuko! Spirits, you are sneaky,” she said, squinting at him as her eyes readjusted from the flash of sudden light. 

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry… it’s a habit.”

Katara smirked playfully and replied, “Maybe we should get you a bell or something.”

He shrugged, unsure if she was teasing him or not. Sensing his uneasiness, Katara patted the space on the deck beside her. “Join me?”

“Are you sure? I didn’t mean to bother you, I just… I heard you sneak out and I… wanted to make sure you were okay.”

That made Katara smile, and she gestured him forward. “I’m sure. I just needed to clear my head, but I’m feeling much better already.”

Zuko hesitated another moment, but then shuffled forward and sat down cross-legged next to her. He seemed nervous and guarded, and Katara couldn’t say she really blamed him. She had wholeheartedly forgiven him for everything, but that was not even a day ago and before that she had been horrible to him. She could only assume he was being cautious for fear of ruining the peace they had found with each other. 

They sat together in awkward silence for what felt like hours, before Katara finally decided to break the ice. 

“Thanks again for helping me with the Southern Raiders. I think you were the only person who truly understood what I needed in order to get closure, and I really appreciate you going out of your way to help,” she said, gently kicking her feet under the cool water beneath her. 

Zuko shrugged, staring out at the horizon. “I know what it’s like to hold on to anger. You just needed to let it out before you could move past it. Bottling it up only makes it worse.”

“And I took that anger out on people who didn’t deserve it,” Katara said sheepishly. 

Zuko shook his head and looked over to her, his golden eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Except I did deserve it… especially from you. When we were stuck in those catacombs, we… opened up to each other. I think that was the first time I saw you for you, and not as my enemy, and I’m sure you felt the same. You took a chance and trusted me, and I threw that all back in your face. I have regretted it every day since.”

Katara turned her eyes to his, and the sincerity and guilt etched across his face made her heart heavy. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his arm, giving him a small smile. 

“I’ve already forgiven you for all of that… it’s time you forgive yourself too. I think… I think it was all supposed to happen this way. You had to hit bottom and lose yourself in order to figure out who you truly are, and now you are a much better person for it.”

“You think so?” Zuko asked, his voice quiet and unsure.

Katara nodded. “I do. Fate is a funny thing… it was never something I put much belief in until I met Aang. Sokka and I finding him in that iceberg, you just conveniently being close enough to see the blast we triggered in that ship, everything that has happened and all the people we have met… it just has to be fate. We have all met each other for a reason, and I believe you were always meant to join us. You just had to figure that out for yourself.”

She saw the tiniest smirk form at the corner of his lips before he turned his gaze back to the water. “How do you do it, Katara?” 

“Do what?” 

“Face life every day with such optimism and hope?”

Katara shrugged. “I guess I’m just too stubborn to let life defeat me.”

Zuko gave a small chuckle. “You and I have that in common.” 

Katara grinned at him, then turned to watch the glittering waves. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, each appreciating having a companion for their solitude. Finally Zuko spoke, breaking the silence. 

“Thank you Katara.”

She looked over at him and cocked her head with a quizzical expression. “What for?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. Everything.”

“That’s vague,” she replied with a chuckle. 

“I just… really appreciate your forgiveness and your willingness to be my friend. I could really use a friend like you and I am grateful.”

This made Katara blush, and she turned her face away to hide it. She wasn’t sure why, but something about his words made her heart flutter ever so slightly. When she turned back to him, she was startled to see that he was already looking at her with soft eyes. She felt another flutter of her heart, and it made her uneasy. She brushed it off, and fixed a friendly smile on her face. 

“Well I’m grateful to have someone else around who will actually help out with chores, instead of making excuses and slinking away like Aang, Sokka, and Toph constantly do,” she replied with a laugh, attempting to deflect the strange feeling growing in her chest. “Anyway… we have a lot of training to do tomorrow, so we should both get some sleep.”

Katara stood, avoiding Zuko’s piercing golden eyes. “Goodnight Zuko, and thanks for keeping me company.”

“Sure… no problem,” he replied, confused by her sudden shift in mood. “Goodnight.” 

He watched her walk back down the dock at a quickened pace, wondering what he had said to make her run off so suddenly. With a sigh he got up, and wandered back towards the house. Katara was right, they did have a big day of training ahead of them. He had told Aang to be up at dawn so they could review breathing techniques and basic bending forms before getting into more advanced bending, and it certainly wouldn’t reflect well on him if he slept in. 

As he settled into bed however, he found it difficult to fall asleep. For some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about Katara; her bright blue eyes, the way her dark, curly hair cascaded so delicately around her face, the way the light of the full moon added an ethereal glow to her bronzed skin… Try as he might, there was no putting her out of his mind. 

XXXX

The next morning Katara awoke late, stirred by the scent of breakfast. She sat up with a stretch, then got out of bed to clean up and dress for the day. When she eventually came downstairs she found Suki in the kitchen cooking breakfast for everyone with Sokka and Toph lounging at the dining table nearby and chatting idly. It was such a peaceful, family vibe, that for a moment Katara could almost forget that they were fugitives in the middle of a war. Suki looked up at her as she entered the room, and greeted her with a bright smile.

“Good morning Katara! You slept late!” 

“Yeah, I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. I guess I’m not used to sleeping in an actual bed,” Katara joked, walking into the kitchen. “Can I help with anything?” 

“Nah, I’m almost done here. Though if you wouldn’t mind popping out back and letting Zuko and Aang know breakfast is almost ready, I’d appreciate it. They’re probably hungry; they’ve been out there since sunrise.” 

Katara felt her cheeks grow warm at the mention of Zuko, but she quickly pushed it aside. “Sure, I’ll go let them know.” 

She swiped a piece of fruit off of the counter as she made her way through the kitchen and out the back door, munching casually as her stomach gave a growl. It was nice to wake up to find someone else cooking for once; normally she’d wake up to a chorus of whining from Aang, Sokka, and Toph, who never seemed to have any interest in fending for themselves while Katara was around. 

She stepped out onto the back porch and found the boys immediately. They were standing in the courtyard, practicing a series of moves in unison and sending hot flames in every direction. Zuko paused suddenly, walking over to Aang to adjust his stance and give him some advice. But Katara wasn’t listening to their conversation. The only thing her mind could focus on was the fact that Zuko stood before her shirtless, sweat glistening off of his well-toned body. She stopped in her tracks, watching him reposition Aang’s arms with a surprising gentleness before resuming his previous position and starting the sequence over again. Without meaning to, Katara felt herself move forward and sink down onto the top step of the stairs leading down into the courtyard, her eyes fixed on Zuko. 

She didn’t know how long she had sat there for, but by the time her mind managed to come back into focus, Suki was standing next to her, leaning on the railing of the deck with a sly smirk on her face. Katara started as she registered the presence of her friend, and she looked up at her with a blush. “Suki! Er… sorry, I was just… uh… Aang has come a long way with his bending, hasn’t he?”

“Clearly all he needed was an effortlessly cool and attractive Firebender to teach him,” Suki replied, grinning. 

Katara felt her whole face burn in embarrassment, and she quickly got to her feet, letting her hair fall into her face to cover it up. Satisfied with her friend’s response, Suki turned to Zuko and Aang and waved them over.

“Hey guys, breakfast is ready, if you want to take a break!” 

The two boys had been so focused that neither of them had noticed Katara and Suki until then, and Aang’s face lit up with a bright smile when he noticed Katara. He bounded over to her, ignoring Zuko’s instruction to finish the sequence first.

“Katara! Did you see how well I’m doing? I’m picking it up so fast now!” he said excitedly, not noticing the hint of a blush that still coloured her face. 

“That’s great Aang, I knew you would pick it up once you had a proper teacher,” she replied, chancing a glance at Zuko. 

He was standing nearby, gulping down a glass of water. Once he finished he looked up, feeling eyes on him, and caught Katara’s gaze. She quickly looked away, the blush across her cheeks darkening, and he suddenly felt very shy. Had she been watching him? The thought sent a strange swooping feeling through his stomach and he turned away from her to try and rid himself of the unusual feeling. He quickly grabbed his tunic and put it on before joining the other three on the deck, and together they returned to the house to eat. 

After breakfast, Suki ventured into town to get supplies, Toph and Aang were working on Earthbending forms, and Sokka and Zuko went fishing, leaving Katara blissfully alone. She wasn’t one to sit idle however, and spent most of the afternoon giving the common areas of the house a good scrub. She decided to wash all of their laundry while she was at it, since they hadn’t had much of a chance to do so in a while, so by the time the sun was low in the sky and Sokka and Zuko returned, they found Katara sitting on the deck among a sea of drying laundry mending a tear in a pair of Sokka’s pants. 

Both boys were carrying their rods and about a dozen fish between them, and were chatting happily as they approached. When Sokka spotted his sister fixing his pants, he let out a happy cry. “Katara, you are the best! I haven’t been able to wear those pants in ages!” He exclaimed. 

“You would have been able to wear them if you learned to sew your own pants,” Katara said, rolling her eyes.

Sokka grinned sheepishly at her, then quickly took Zuko’s rod and the fish he was carrying. “I’m gunna go put these away… thanks again Katara!” he said, rushing off into the house and leaving Zuko standing awkwardly and confused.

“Wow, he really doesn't want to learn,” he remarked, watching Sokka vanish into the house. 

Katara shrugged. “He’s used to me taking care of him I guess. I don’t mind really, I just have a lot to do,” she replied, gesturing to a small pile of clothing next to her. “ Aang also has a tear in his pants, one of my tunics needs the hem fixed, and pretty much everything Toph has needs to be patched up. Perils of living on the road, I suppose.”

Zuko frowned at her for a moment, then walked up the stairs and sank down next to her. “Do you have an extra needle?” 

She gave him a quizzical look, but dug into her sewing kit and pulled out another sewing needle, handing it over. He thanked her and picked up one of Toph’s tunics, studying the tear for a moment before threading the needle. Katara watched him curiously as he knotted the end and began stitching the fabric with practiced ease. His stitches were surprisingly even and strong, and as she watched him sew, she couldn’t help but be impressed. 

Feeling her eyes on him he looked up, causing a small blush to creep into her cheeks. “What?” he asked, feeling that same, strange swooping feeling in his stomach that he had felt earlier that morning. 

“Sorry! I just… I didn’t know you could sew,” she replied.

Zuko shrugged and continued to stitch. “My uncle taught me.”

Katara smiled fondly, returning to her own sewing. She remembered Iroh, and she had liked him very much. She knew he and Zuko had a strong bond, and it didn’t surprise her at all to learn he had taught Zuko something so practical. 

“That makes sense. He seems like a very self-sufficient sort of person.”

Zuko chuckled softly. “Don’t let his practicality fool you, he loves to be lazy too. But after my exile we didn’t really have anyone to do this sort of thing for us, so we had to learn. Well, I had to learn. Uncle already knew how to do all this stuff. I’m grateful for it though.”

He let out a small sigh, feeling a knot of guilt. Katara noticed, but remained silent; she didn’t want to pry if he wasn’t ready to share. Instead she gave him a smile and said, “Well I am grateful too. It’s nice to have help with these things.” 

“I’ve noticed that Suki is the only one who ever does help. I can’t imagine how frustrating it was taking care of everyone before she joined. They really should be helping more.”

“If I don’t do these things, they won’t get done,” Katara said with a shrug. “Having you and Suki around has really helped, but I gave up nagging at the others a long time ago. It’s easier to just do it myself.” 

“You aren’t their mother, Katara,” Zuko replied, giving her a sympathetic look.

Katara chuckled in reply, thinking back to the day she had overheard Sokka and Toph talking about how ‘mother-y’ she was. “Sometimes I think I’m the closest thing any of them really have. I can’t really fault any of them for looking for a mother-figure, and I guess I’m…. just used to it. After my mother was killed I took on a lot of responsibility in my village. All the warriors left to fight, all the benders were gone… apart from Sokka and I, everyone who stayed behind was either a young child, or too old to fight. Sokka really took his role as the defender of our village seriously, so I was left to help care for the kids and take care of most of the chores.”

Zuko frowned. “I guess neither of us got much of a chance to be a kid, huh?”

“Not just us. Sokka acts like an idiot, but he steps up when he needs to, and Suki is our age and leads the Kyoshi Warriors. We’ve all grown up too quickly.”

She looked up at him, catching his gaze. A strange, uncomfortable heat spread through her body, but she couldn’t seem to look away. Suddenly the door burst open, startling them both, and Sokka emerged from the house. 

“You’re still out here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Zuko. “And… you’re sewing?” 

Zuko swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump that had rendered him speechless in Katara’s gaze. “Y-yeah. It’s a useful skill to have, you know. I can teach you.” 

“ _Me?_ ” Sokka replied, unsure. 

“Every competent warrior should know how to stitch their own clothes,” Zuko said casually, catching Katara’s eyes with a mischievous smirk.

Sokka pondered this for a moment, then plunked down next to Zuko with a nod. “Alright, show me.” 

Katara turned away, hiding a grin. She didn’t know how Zuko had managed to convince him to learn so easily, but she appreciated it nonetheless. 

By the time they had all gone up to bed, all of the clothes that needed mending were done, the laundry washed, and the house was looking much more livable. Katara had mentioned at dinner that she was going to wash all the sheets the following day, and Zuko immediately offered to help. She appreciated the help, but he was starting to make her nervous and she couldn’t quite figure out why. The only other time she had really felt this way around someone else was Jet, and that had ended disastrously. Was she starting to fall for Zuko? She went to bed that night once again unable to sleep. Zuko was just a friend. That’s all he could be… so why did he make her feel this way?


	2. Chapter 2

Katara woke the next morning determined to put her confused feelings for Zuko out of her mind. She didn’t have time to think about romance anyway, not with the war looming over them all. The morning went rather successfully too, though it helped that Zuko spent most of the morning training with Aang again and she had only seen him at breakfast. While she waited for Zuko to be free, she went from room to room, stripping the linens off of all the beds and tossing them into a large washing basket. By the time she had finished it was nearly noon, and as she came downstairs she found Aang and Zuko lounging around enjoying a cold drink. 

“How was training?” she asked.

“Great! I’ll be a Master Firebender in no time!” Aang exclaimed.

“Not until you get your stance correct without me reminding you,” Zuko chided, causing Aang’s grin to falter.

“I’m trying! I’m an Airbender… it’s hard to be so… rigid.”

“You have to try harder then. If you can’t keep your core strong and your feet rooted, you will lose control. Fire is an element that can swiftly dominate you if you don’t stand your ground against it, and I won’t move you on to more dangerous techniques until I am satisfied that you can keep control.”

Aang pouted at him, his happiness deflated at the criticism. “You sound like Toph,” he mumbled.

Zuko looked to Katara for an explanation, and she gave a small sigh. “He has had a similar problem with Earthbending. Toph says he needs to be unmovable in order to have control over Earth, but Airbending and Waterbending are more fluid, with constant movement and evasive techniques. It’s been challenging for him to figure out how to move offensively instead of defensively.”

“Yeah, exactly! Katara gets it!” Aang said, nodding emphatically.

“I do, Aang, but that doesn’t mean I don’t agree with Zuko and Toph. You are the Avatar, and you have to be more adaptable when it comes to how you bend. You’ve been struggling with footing and posture since you started learning Earthbending, and even though you have improved a lot, Toph has been telling you constantly that you need to improve your form before you will truly master it.”

Aang’s face fell again and he hung his head, making Katara feel guilty. She gave a small sigh, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry Aang, I know you will get it. Just keep practicing.” 

He looked up at her with bright eyes, basking in what little praise he could squeeze out of her. “Thanks Katara. I won’t let you down.”

Zuko couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Aang’s crush on Katara was obvious, and it annoyed him. He wasn’t sure why, but it did. He cleared his throat and stepped forward to pick up the laundry basket that Katara had set down. “Ready Katara?” he asked, drawing her attention away from the young Airbender. 

She removed her hand from Aang’s shoulder and looked over at Zuko with a nod. “Let’s go. See you later Aang!” 

They left the house and walked down the beach together towards a small stream that ran from the nearby woods to the sea. It was where Katara had done the laundry the day prior, and it was a good enough place to do the washing. They walked along in silence for a while, until Zuko finally spoke.

“You know he likes you, right?” he said suddenly, unable to hide the dejected tone in his voice.

Katara just sighed, remaining silent for a few moments before replying. “I know.” 

“Do you like him?” 

“Of course I do,” Katara said, her voice raising an octave. 

Zuko frowned at her. “You know what I mean. You don’t have to answer my question, but I will say that if you don’t return his feelings you should tell him that. He is very… smitten.”

Katara gave another sigh, avoiding his gaze. They reached the stream and he set the basket down, unsure of what to say and kicking himself for annoying her. Finally she looked up at him, looking slightly guilty. 

“I don’t even know _how_ I feel. I mean… I don’t think I feel the same way he does, but I haven’t really thought about that sort of thing lately. I am more focused on the war.”

She started pulling sheets out of the basket, dipping them into the stream and pinning them in place with large stones, letting the water flow freely over the fabric. Zuko knelt down to help, taking out the soap and scrubbing the sheets before handing them off to Katara to rinse. He still didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t want to pry, so he remained silent. 

“He kissed me once, you know. Before the invasion,” she said suddenly. 

Zuko looked up at her, surprised. “He did?”

“Well, barely. It happened so suddenly and was over so quickly that I didn’t even fully realize what had happened. And then he just took off without saying anything about it, and we haven’t talked about it since.”

“Did you… enjoy it?” Zuko asked tentatively. 

Katara shrugged. “It was barely even a kiss, really, and it was so… _innocent_. A good kiss is supposed to make you weak in the knees, not confuse you.”

Her reply brought a smirk to his face, and he turned away from her to hide it. “Do you have a lot of experience with _good_ kisses then?” Zuko asked, unable to help himself.

She blushed a deep red, grateful that he wasn’t looking at her. “I… I wouldn’t say a _lot_ , no… but there was one guy…”

Zuko was curious now, and turned to look at her. She was wringing a sheet nervously, a blush across her cheeks. She looked up at him, her blush darkening. 

“It didn’t last long, and it was a _huge_ mistake in the end… but in the moment it was definitely good.”

“Does Aang know about this mistake?” Zuko asked teasingly.

“I’m sure he knows there was something between us. Sokka bugs me all the time about it, though not so much after Ba Sing Se… but I don’t think he knows just how far it went.”

This really peaked his interest, and he suddenly had so many questions. “How far _did_ it go?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly. 

Katara shrugged noncommittally, and turned her face away to hide how red it had gone. That was more than enough to answer his question, and it surprised him. Katara wasn’t usually one to be impulsive, at least not to that degree. “Huh…” was all he was able to say in reply.

“Like I said… it was a mistake. Especially since he turned out to be a total jerk.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I’ve made a similar mistake,” Zuko replied, his voice meek. 

She looked up at him curiously. “You have?” 

He nodded, avoiding her gaze. “When I returned to the Fire Nation after Ba Sing Se, I tried so hard to just… slip back into my old life. That included getting back with my ex. Things were fine with her for a while, but we didn’t have the same chemistry we had before I was banished, and we fought _all_ the time. I guess I thought it would bring us closer, but I think all I did was end up hurting her even more.”

Katara studied his face, frowning at the regret in his features. She sat back with a sigh. “No point in dwelling on the past, right? That’s something I think we both need to remember.”

Zuko smiled despite himself, and nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” He sat back, watching the sheets ripple against the flow of the stream. “But you should still tell Aang you aren’t in love with him,” he teased. 

“Who says I’m not?” she asked evasively. 

“If you said you were, I wouldn’t believe you. Besides, the fact that you aren’t confirming it right away is more than enough of an answer.”

“Maybe I just don’t want to tell you?” Katara said indignantly. 

Zuko chuckled. “You told me about hooking up with your ex freely enough, what reason would you have not to tell me if you had feelings for Aang?”

She blushed again, flicking her wrist and sending a splash of water towards Zuko’s face. He blocked it with his arm, the water soaking his sleeve, and he laughed. It was the first time Katara had ever heard him laugh so heartily and genuinely, and it threw her slightly. She also couldn’t help but notice just how attractive his smile was. She cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable.

“We should pull these sheets out and do the last bunch,” she said, changing the topic. 

Zuko nodded and together they started pulling the linens from the stream. Zuko held them up while Katara bent the water out of the fabric, then together they folded each sheet neatly and placed it back in the basket. Once they were done they scrubbed down the remaining sheets and soaked them in the stream as they had done with the first batch. While they waited for the sheets to rinse they sat side by side next to the stream, watching the late afternoon sun dip towards the horizon. 

“Katara…” Zuko asked suddenly. “You deserve someone who will make you weak in the knees you know.” 

She looked at him with a startled expression. He was staring into the stream thoughtfully, and didn’t even seem to notice that she was staring at him with an incredulous look.

“What do you mean?” she asked dumbly. 

“You are so kind and generous, yet fierce and determined and brave… and you are an extremely skilled bender. You shouldn’t settle for sweet and innocent… you deserve so much more.”

“Where is this coming from?”

Zuko shrugged, then finally looked over at her. He gave her a small, shy smile. “I don’t know. I just… wanted you to know that I think you are far too amazing to settle for anyone who didn’t make you weak in the knees.” 

Her heart was suddenly pounding. Why was he saying all of this? She couldn’t figure out if he was just trying to be nice, or if he was actually flirting with her. The thought made her breath catch, and suddenly she felt the same tingle on the back of her neck as she did before a battle, when her senses were warning her that she was in danger. She took a deep breath to calm her sudden anxiety, and released it in a shaky exhale. She felt like a cornered animal, and she had a strong feeling that if she stayed, she would get burned. Every instinct was telling her to run, so she did.

“I… need to… check on a thing…” she breathed, scrambling to her feet.

“Katara? Are you okay?” Zuko asked, getting to his feet as well. 

“Yup! Just ah… gotta.... Do that thing. See you!” 

She took off, practically jogging back towards the house, leaving Zuko standing dumbfounded as he watched her leave. 

XXXX

By the time Zuko had collected the last of the laundry and hauled it all back by himself the sun had nearly set. He hung up the sheets that were still damp on the line in the courtyard, then brought the dried sheets in through the back door, greeted by the scent of dinner. 

“Zuko! Perfect timing,” Suki said, greeting him as he entered.

He set the basket down and glanced over at the dining table where Aang and Sokka were laying out dishes. Toph was lounging near the kitchen, swiping bits of food when Suki wasn’t looking, but Katara was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Katara?” he asked, frowning.

Suki raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. “Wasn’t she with you?”

“She was, but she… came back early. Didn’t you see her?” 

“I was here, and Toph, Sokka, and Aang were playing a game outside… so if she came in through the front we would have missed her.” She gave him another questioning look, then gestured to the table. “Why don’t you sit and eat; I’ll go see if she’s upstairs.”

Zuko nodded and made his way to the table where the others had already begun to dig in. He watched Suki leave the kitchen, suddenly worried that something bad had happened. 

Suki made her way up the stairs and down the hall, knocking gently on Katara’s door. There was no answer, so she knocked again, more firmly.

“Katara? It’s Suki. Are you in there?”

After a few moments of silence, she heard a faint reply. “Yeah…” 

“Can I come in?” 

“...sure.”

Suki opened the door and discovered Katara laying face down on her bed in the growing darkness. She frowned, closed the door, then crossed the room to sit on the edge of her bed. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Katara let out a heavy sigh, then slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. Suki waited patiently while her friend fidgeted awkwardly, leaning over to light the lantern on the bedside table. After a few minutes, she decided to try again.

“Zuko’s worried about you. Did something happen?” 

“No, nothing _happened_ , really. I’m just… confusing myself I guess.”

Suki raised an eyebrow at her friend. “What do you mean?” 

Katara shrugged. “I don’t know… it’s just…” she sighed again. “The last two days I’ve been getting strange feelings whenever I’m around Zuko, and I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Judging by the way you were watching him yesterday, I’d say it’s pretty clear what those feelings are,” Suki replied with a smirk. 

“Is it clear? Because I certainly can’t make it all out. Just last week I hated him. How could I possibly feel this way about him so quickly?”

“Hate and love are two sides of the same coin, and you wouldn’t be the first person to confuse them. There must have been some point in the past that made your feelings shift even a little, and now that all the negativity between you is gone, your attraction to him has room to flourish.”

Katara bit her lip as she thought back to the crystal catacombs. That was the first time she had seen Zuko as an actual person, and saw through the cracks in the angry, hostile wall he had built around himself. He had been vulnerable and honest with her, and she had felt genuine care for him. She knew this was part of why she had been so horrible to him when he joined their group; she had felt a bond grow between them in those stolen moments, and her heart had broken when he turned his back on her. She had been hurt and betrayed, sure, but was it made worse by the fact that she had started to fall for him in those brief hours in captivity? She wasn’t so sure. 

“I’ll admit that I do find him attractive, but love? That’s a strong word,” Katara said unconvincingly. 

“You’d be surprised how quickly it can happen,” Suki replied with a sly grin. “And it may not be love yet, but it very well could be, if you let it.”

“I can’t think about all that right now… we have more important things to think about.”

Suki frowned. “Would you suggest that I’m being irresponsible for being with Sokka?” 

Katara blushed slightly and shook her head. “No! No of course not… I just mean that this… it’s all so complicated. My feelings have changed so quickly, and it scares me… and then there’s Aang… it’s just too much.”

Suki studied Katara’s face for a long moment, then sighed. “Well, I think you should tell Zuko how you feel. If he doesn’t feel the same way, then you can move on and get over this crush. If he does… well, you can decide what to do then. But this uncertainty is only going to drive you crazy.” 

Katara shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just a dumb crush. We are finally getting along, and I don’t want to ruin that by making it awkward. It will go away, I’m sure. I just need to focus on something else.” 

“Alright… if you insist,” Suki said, not at all convinced. “Will you at least come down for dinner now?”

Katara shuffled off of the bed and stretched, giving her friend a forced smile. “I’m sorry for worrying you… I’m fine now. Let’s go eat.”

Suki sighed and got up, following Katara out of the room. 

XXXX

Dinner was an awkward affair. Katara could sense Zuko’s eyes on her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to look at him, let alone explain her strange behaviour. Suki had covered for her, saying that Katara had gotten a headache and needed to lie down, and she had latched on to this as an excuse to go to bed right after dinner. She wasn’t feeling particularly social, and she had a feeling that Zuko might try and corner her if given the chance. She thought it better to just go to sleep and come up with a good excuse in the morning.

Only she couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t put her talk with Suki out of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried she failed to fall asleep. She lay in the darkness watching the moon slowly move the shadows across her room for hours, waiting for exhaustion to overtake her. Eventually she gave up, throwing off the blankets and tip toeing across the dark room to the door. She slowly opened it and peeked out into the hall; the whole house was dark and quiet. She made her way down the hall and tread quietly down the stairs. The kitchen was illuminated by the moonlight pouring through the large windows, so she made her way through to the door leading to the back yard without bothering to light any candles. Once she was outside she stopped creeping and strolled out of the yard towards the water, heading once again to the small dock. 

She walked down the wooden planks and sat on the end of the dock, hugging her knees. It angered her that she couldn’t put her conversation with Suki out of her mind, or the subject of that conversation. After the disaster with Jet she had promised herself that she wouldn’t let romance sway her focus, but here she was obsessively thinking about a boy again. She wasn’t even sure if it was anything real, or just a dumb crush. Zuko was definitely attractive, that much she had known before they had become friends. But she couldn’t fathom how it could be anything more than that after such a short time. And then there was Aang. She knew without a doubt that she didn’t feel about him the same way he felt about her, but he was still young and immature in so many ways. Perhaps in time her feelings would change. She couldn’t help but feel like she owed him a chance at least. 

But she couldn’t afford to think about any of that right now. Everyone’s first and foremost priority needed to be ensuring that Aang would be ready to face the Fire Lord. Considering that he had barely begun to learn Firebending, his Earthbending still needed work, and frankly, his Waterbending could use some polishing as well, she couldn’t waste a single moment thinking about anything else. 

Katara let out a frustrated groan, falling back to lay against the dock. She stared up at the endless sea of stars, wishing she could find some clarity among them when a shadow suddenly passed over her. She sat up quickly and turned, her face reddening slightly as she spotted the source. Zuko was standing behind her, holding two steaming mugs and wearing a tentative smile. 

“I brought you some tea… it’s supposed to help with headaches, but I’m not sure I made it right so it might just… be hot leaf water,” he said hesitantly. 

Katara smiled despite herself. “Isn’t all tea ‘hot leaf water’?” she replied. 

Zuko chuckled and said, “Don’t let my uncle hear you say that.” He moved forward and handed her one of the mugs, then sat down next to her. 

“How did you even know I was out here?” Katara asked, taking a sip of the tea, surprised that it was actually quite good.

Zuko shrugged.” I’m a light sleeper. I heard you sneak out and figured you’d be here.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. She knew he was a light sleeper, but she had barely made a sound until after she got outside. She had a strong feeling that he had been laying awake too. 

“Katara… I just… wanted to apologize. If I said or did anything that upset you today, I promise it wasn’t intentional. I have a habit of saying all the wrong things…” 

His words sent a pang of guilt into her heart. “You have nothing to apologize for Zuko. In fact I should be the one apologizing to you… I acted super weird, but it wasn’t your fault.”

Zuko gave her a quizzical look, but didn’t press her further. “Well… if I ever do say anything to upset you, please let me know. I don’t want to do anything to upset you.”

“I will, but you haven’t done anything. I promise.”

Katara looked over at him with a reassuring smile, her guilt flaring as she saw the relief in his eyes. It shocked her how insecure he seemed to be; when they had first met, she had always seen him as self-assured, arrogant, and confident. But the more she got to know him, the more she realized that he was far more sensitive than she had ever imagined, and it made him remarkably kind. 

“You know, it’s strange how… normal you are,” she said suddenly. 

Zuko furrowed his brow at her, clearly confused. “What do you mean?” 

“I guess I expected you to be more… princely. You know, selfish, spoiled, arrogant. Expecting people to wait on you and such. But you aren’t any of those things at all.”

“I may have been like that, if my life turned out differently. My father banishing me was probably a blessing in disguise.”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that you have always been sweet and thoughtful.”

A blush bloomed across Zuko’s face, and he took a gulp of his tea to hide it. He had no idea how to respond, so he just shrugged. 

“Honestly,” Katara continued, “I wasn’t expecting you to know how to sew, or fish, or do laundry, or any of that. I know you said you had no choice really, but whenever I thought of you chasing us around the world, I guess I imagined you sitting on a cushion while servants fanned you or something.”

Zuko scoffed at the image, but he couldn’t blame her for thinking it. “I’ve certainly experienced that level of pampering, but it gets old very fast. At least… for normal people,” he said with a small smile. Azula loves bossing people around. I’d rather do things for myself.”

“No offence, but Azula doesn’t seem like a very sane person.” 

“None taken… she’s vicious, and she enjoys inflicting pain and torment. I’m pretty sure terrifying people is her fondest hobby.”

“I’m guessing your hobbies are quite different,” Katara said with a small chuckle. 

“Definitely. For one, most of the things I enjoy, I prefer to do in solitude.”

This piqued Katara’s curiosity, and she raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh? What sort of stuff do you enjoy?”

Zuko shrugged. “Usually I spend my free time practicing with my swords. Going through my stances and forms helps ground me, sort of like meditation, which I also enjoy. I like calligraphy too, though I haven’t been able to do it since I left the Capital. I didn’t bother to bring my ink and brushes.”

Katara smiled warmly at him. “Calligraphy wasn’t a hobby I was expecting to hear. Most of the guys I know like hunting and wrestling and such.”

“I guess I’m just not very exciting,” Zuko said sheepishly. “I like to do things that calm my mind and let me focus on something specific, and drown out the world around me. My life is so chaotic and violent, the last thing I need is more chaos and violence.”  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you were boring,” Katara replied, reaching out to touch his arm reassuringly. “Quite the contrary; I think it’s interesting and lovely. Again you surprise me entirely by being not at all what I expected you to be.” 

Zuko smiled at her briefly before turning his eyes to the ocean before him. “You may have noticed that I’m not particularly good with words… Part of why I enjoy calligraphy is the control I have over the words I am creating, and I have time to actually sit and think about what I want to put on the parchment.”

“What sort of stuff do you write?” 

“Nothing intelligent or insightful really. Usually I just write out poems or passages that I like. I’ve attempted to write my own poetry, but they’ve all ended up in the fire, so I prefer to recreate the words of people far more eloquent than I am.”

“I think you are far more eloquent than you give yourself credit for, Zuko. You talk to me easily enough.”

Zuko chuckled. “Yeah, now I do. I’m more comfortable around you now, but when I first joined you guys I had no idea what to say to you, and every time I tried to talk to you I said something that made you mad.” 

“It wasn’t really anything you said… I was being unreasonable and holding on to my anger.”

“Well, I don’t blame you for that, but I am certainly glad we’ve moved past it. It’s… really nice to have someone I can talk to. Someone who actually listens and cares. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a genuine friend.”

 _Friend_. That settled it; they were _friends_ , and he appreciated that relationship. There was no way Katara was going to let her stupid crush ruin the friendship they had developed, especially after he had opened up to her and confessed how much it meant to him. Even if knowing him better made her yearn for him even more. 

“I’m glad too. I feel like we have a lot in common, and I never would have guessed that a few months ago,” she said, giving him a smile. 

He returned her smile, holding her gaze in his for a moment that felt like an eternity. Katara’s heart began to pound, and she _needed_ to change the subject. 

“Hey, can you show me how to do calligraphy some time?” she said, tearing her eyes away from him.

“Sure, but only if you promise me that whenever you are feeling overwhelmed or have too much to do, you’ll come to me and ask for help. Calligraphy can be a great way to unwind and relax, but it will be for nothing if you are stressed all the time. You spend so much of your time and energy taking care of everyone else in the group, so let me take care of you. Okay? You don’t have to do it all alone. I’m here for you.” 

She was thrown by his words, and touched. Katara’s heart was pounding again, and once more she felt that same prickle at the back of her neck that she got before a battle. Anticipation, adrenaline, danger. Oh boy, was she in danger. She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. He was smiling softly at her, and she couldn’t help but let her eyes be drawn to the soft curvature of his mouth. She took a breath, swallowing her feelings, and smiled back at him. “I promise. And… thank you. I really don’t think I can express just how much I appreciate having someone looking out for me.”

Zuko nodded, then looked up at the sky to check the position of the moon. It was well after midnight, and they had another early morning training session in the morning. He gulped back the rest of his tea, noticing with a smile that Katara had already finished hers, and stood.

“We should probably get some sleep. Are you feeling better now?” He asked, offering his hand to help her up.

She took it and stood, giving him a quizzical look before she remembered that she was supposed to have been suffering from a headache. “Oh! Yeah, much better. Thank you.” 

He nodded, reaching out and taking Katara’s empty mug. They headed back up towards the house in silence, and Katara was glad for it. Her mind was swimming, and she wasn’t sure she could string a coherent sentence together. They crept back into the house through the back door. Zuko placed the mugs into the sink, and then they quietly made their way back upstairs and down the hall. They stopped as they reached Katara’s room, and before she opened the door she turned to wish him a good night. However she was taken by surprise when she turned and noticed he had moved in close, his face hardly an inch from hers in the darkness. 

“Sleep well, Katara,” he whispered. 

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, and nodded awkwardly. “Y-you too,” she stammered, before turning the knob and practically falling into her room. She closed the door gently behind her, then crossed the room and fell into her bed with a sigh. Yes, she was definitely in danger.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days flew buy in a blur. They had settled into a routine; Zuko and Aang would get up around dawn and train for most of the morning, then after a late breakfast Aang would join Toph for Earthbending practice. After lunch Aang would get a break to rest and relax, then he would practice his Waterbending with Katara for a couple of hours before dinner. At night they would all gather together and tell stories or play card games. Katara and Suki had mostly taken over the cooking duties, though Zuko made a point of helping them both which made the work go by much faster, so in general they all found themselves with much more free time. 

Katara hadn’t really spent any time alone with Zuko since their late-night rendezvous on the dock, and for that she was thankful. It was much easier to act normally around him when there were other people around. She had made good on her promise however, and whenever the chores were piling up or she needed a hand with something, she’d seek him out and ask for his help. He was always happy to oblige, so she quickly got over the guilt of it. Admittedly, she rather enjoyed it. Even though she was trying to rid herself of her crush, she very much enjoyed his company, and she relished every opportunity to spend a bit of time with him.

One lazy afternoon, Katara found herself with nothing to do. Aang was off training with Toph, Suki was forcing Sokka to help her clean up after lunch, and Zuko had taken off after eating to go wash up after training all morning. With nothing else to do, she wandered through the downstairs rooms of the beach house. She had explored a little while she had been cleaning a few days prior, and she recalled a small study in one of the back rooms that housed a few bookshelves so she made her way there. The room itself was fairly small, with a writing desk tucked away to one side next to one of the two windows. Along one wall were the bookshelves, and underneath the other window near the shelves was a worn looking armchair. The room was fairly bare otherwise, and like everything else in the house, had not been used in years. 

Katara made her way over to the shelves and began perusing the dusty books. Upon closer inspection she saw that the majority of them were Fire Nation history books, old records, and books on strategy and war. She made a face, but made a mental note to tell Sokka about them later. Considering nobody had been to the beach house in several years, she highly doubted that there would be any recent or relevant information, but if anyone could find use in them it would be her brother. She did however find a small collection of plays and poetry on a couple of shelves near the bottom, as well as a few books on Fire Nation legends and mythology. One book in particular caught her eye; it was bound in cracked red leather, and the gold foil that once filled the imprinted title was nearly faded entirely. But she could still make out the title: _‘Spirits of the Fire Nation’_. 

She gently pulled it off of the shelf and stood from her crouched position, running her hand over the cover of the book. She sat down on the armrest of the chair and cracked open the cover, the smell of old parchment wafting into the air. She carefully flipped through the pages, admiring the lovely ink depictions of the spirits and skimming through the details on each one. Most of them she had never heard of, but it was fascinating nonetheless. She had always pictured the Fire Nation as being rigid and cold, only believing in conquest and war. But the more time she spent in the Fire Nation, the more she discovered that there was a rich and lovely history of art, culture, and spirituality that was buried beneath the indoctrination of the war. 

Katara flipped another page and froze. On the page before her was an inked depiction of a woman that she recognized immediately. Underneath was her name: _The Painted Lady_. She smiled eagerly, turning her eyes to the passage on the following page. 

_The Painted Lady is the peaceful guardian of the Jang Hui River, located on the Eastern-most point of the Fire Nation. The Lady was once a human woman who had a close relationship with nature and the spirits around her. Her respect for the spirits and her desire to protect and nurture the land around her granted her favour by the spirits upon her death, thus she was rewarded with her transcendence to the Spirit World. Now a benevolent water spirit, she protects both the village of Jang Hui and the river for which it was named._

_The Lady is said to have long, dark hair and adorns herself in white robes and a wide brimmed hat with a veil. She is easily distinguishable by the red stripes painted across her arms and face. Legends say that she is most often seen in the early morning hours just before dawn when the mist is low across the river, making her appear as a shadowy figure walking along the banks. It is said that those who pray to the Lady will be blessed with good health and harvest, and those who favour her say she prefers offerings of shells and medicinal herbs._

She read the passage through several times, wishing there was more, but what was there gave her such a sense of clarity. Katara had felt such a strong kinship with the Painted Lady, and now she knew why. Of _course_ she was a water spirit. It was the fact that she had lived a mortal life that threw her though. She knew it was possible, after all she had seen Yue become the Moon Spirit before her very eyes. But she thought it only happened in very unique circumstances like Yue’s. She felt very lucky to have met the Lady in person. 

“What are you reading?” 

Katara jumped and looked up from the page, her eyes landing on Zuko who was leaning against the doorframe smiling softly at her. She let out a sigh, and shook her head. 

“I really do need to get you a bell,” she replied, closing the book and holding it up for him to read the title. 

He smirked, then moved into the room to lean against the side of the desk facing her. “You looked pretty engrossed; I didn’t realize Fire Nation spirits were so interesting.”

“Well, one in particular. I was reading about the Painted Lady.”

“The Painted Lady?” Zuko repeated, biting his bottom lip slightly as he searched his memory for the name. “She’s the guardian spirit of Jang Hui, right?” 

“Katara nodded. “I met her once, so I was happy to find out more about her.”

“You… _met_ her?” Zuko asked in disbelief. 

“I did. We were in Jang Hui a few weeks ago, only the river had been so severely polluted by a nearby factory that the villagers were sick and starving. I couldn’t stand to just leave them to suffer, so I faked an illness with Appa, disguised myself as the Painted Lady, and snuck into the village to heal them and bring them food during the night. I did it for a couple of nights, but it would have all been for nothing if the factory remained intact. So I blew it up.”

“Wait, you disguised yourself as a spirit, snuck into a Fire Nation factory, and blew it up all by yourself?” Zuko interrupted. 

“Well… Aang found me out as I was on my way to the factory, but I managed to convince him to help me. But… yes. I had to do something. Only the next day Fire Nation soldiers attacked the village, thinking that they were responsible for the factory. Sokka and Toph were in on it at this point, and we came up with a quick plan and tricked them into thinking I was the Painted Lady. We drove them away, though the villagers realized that I wasn’t actually a spirit and weren’t too pleased at first. Sokka convinced them to forgive the deceit and before we left we helped them clean the river. It was when we were packing up to leave that she appeared and thanked me.”

Zuko looked stunned, but his features quickly softened into an affectionate smile. It was unusual to witness; Zuko wasn’t often so obvious in his affection, and it made her heart flutter. 

“I’m really impressed, Katara, and very grateful.”

“Grateful? What for?” 

“I may be a banished prince, but I am still a prince of the Fire Nation nonetheless and I care about the wellbeing of my people. I had no idea Jang Hui was even in such a state, and I greatly appreciate that you took the time to help them when I could not. Especially considering they are your enemies.”

“They aren’t my enemy,” Katara replied. “Your father and sister are. The nobles and generals that uphold this warmongering are. The soldiers who have seen what life is like outside of the Fire Nation and still choose to fight are. But the people? The everyday citizens? They don’t even know what is really going on out there. All the time we have spent here has taught me that these people have been indoctrinated to believe that this war is for the benefit of the world, and anyone who questions it gets swiftly punished. It’s not unlike Ba Sing Se, really. They are totally ignorant of what the world is really like. But the people of Jang Hui know better than most, and they were powerless to do anything. They suffered under the hands of their own nation, and I couldn’t just stand by and leave them to their fate. I will never turn my back on people in need. _Never_ , no matter who they are.”

Zuko’s smile grew, and he dropped his gaze to the floor in thought. Katara studied his face, wishing she knew what went on in his mind. He was infuriatingly impossible to read. He looked back up at her and let out a small breath. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with the capacity for compassion that you have. It’s one of my favourite things about you, and it’s honestly inspiring. Being around you makes me want to work harder to be a better person.”

Katara was floored by his statement, and her fluttering heart dropped straight into her stomach and exploded into a thousand tiny butterflies. It was hard enough to push her feelings for him aside, but after a statement like that it seemed an impossible task. She blushed deeply and hugged the large book to her chest, unsure how to reply. 

“T-thank you,” she said dumbly, wishing she had anything better to say. 

“Hey, do you want to go for a walk?” Zuko asked suddenly.

She raised an eyebrow at him, thrown by the sudden change of topic. “A walk?” 

“Yeah, I want to get out of the house for a bit. Besides, there’s something I’ve been meaning to show you.”

“Oh? What is it?” Katara asked curiously. 

“You’ll just have to see it for yourself,” he replied mischievously. “Do you want to come?”

Katara gave him a suspicious look, but nodded. “Alright, sure.” 

She walked over to the shelf and returned the book, then turned and joined Zuko, who had made his way towards the door. He waited for her to pass into the hall, shut the door behind them, then led her down the hall and out the front door. 

He seemed to be leading her inland, towards the village, though instead of following the trail that led towards the populated areas, he branched off and headed towards a small copse of trees. The ground sloped upwards into the hills as they entered the treeline, and Katara’s curiosity grew stronger with each step. She wasn’t at all familiar with the Island, apart from the area immediately around the beach house, but she had no idea there was a tiny little forest nearby. After a few minutes of walking, Zuko turned to her and said, “Almost there.”

He pushed through some overhanging branches and let her out into a small clearing nestled into the side of a rocky hill. There was a trickle of water cascading down the rock face into a small, steaming pool of water below, and the surrounding trees provided privacy from all sides. Katara slowly walked over to the pool and kneeled, dipping her fingers in the warm water.

“Is this a hot spring?” she asked.

Zuko nodded. “Not many people know about it. It’s technically on the land owned by the royal family, so villagers never come up here, and tourists wouldn’t know to explore this far. We didn’t even bring guests here, really. Just immediate family, so it’s remained quite private. The public hot springs are on the other side of this hill, so it all comes from the same source.”

“This is amazing! Thank you for bringing me here, I’m touched that you wanted to share it with me,” Katara replied, turning back to him with a warm smile. 

He shrugged and moved to join her next to the small spring. “I figured if anyone would appreciate it, it would be you.” 

Katara felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she turned her face away to hide the blush that bloomed. She reached out to touch the water again; the temperature was perfect and she longed to get in and soak her muscles. Feeling bold, she stood and began to undo her belt. Zuko caught sight of her and stood quickly, the hint of a blush creeping into his cheeks. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice slightly higher than usual.

This made Katara smirk, and emboldened her further. “I’m getting in! Are you going to join me?” she asked, dropping her belt to the ground and kicking off her shoes. 

Zuko stared at her, words failing him. She suppressed a grin, then began stripping off her clothes down to her undergarments, leaving her things in a pile on the ground. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Well?” 

He swallowed hard, then nodded mutely. He reached up and untied the sash keeping his tunic closed, dropping it on the ground before shrugging off his tunic as well. Katara took a moment to admire his toned physique before turning away and stepping into the warm water. Zuko seemed flustered, and it both amused and pleased her. 

When he had finished stripping to his undergarments, Zuko quickly stepped into the pool next to her. The water came up to Katara’s ribs, but there was a little ledge along one side that made a perfect seat. She sat down and let out a sigh, enjoying the warmth of the water as it seeped into her bones. Zuko settled awkwardly next to her, suddenly seeming shy. Katara bit her lip in thought, watching him as he stared at the steaming water. She supposed he wasn’t used to girls undressing in front of him… or was he? Zuko was a prince after all. Now that she thought about it, he must have had girls throwing themselves at him his whole life. Not that she was throwing herself anywhere, but it made her all the more curious as to his sudden unease. She decided to change the subject. 

“So, what do you think you’ll do after the war? Assuming we win and survive the whole thing that is,” she asked.

“Honestly? I have no clue. I assume my uncle would take the throne, although I’m not sure if he’d want me to come home. I don’t know if I’d want to go back even if he did.”

“You really don’t think he’d want you around?” Katara asked sympathetically. 

“Zuko shrugged. “Last time I saw him he refused to even look at me, so I don’t think the chances are high.”

“So where will you go then?” 

“I don’t know… I think maybe I’d like to travel. I mean, I’ve been all over the world, but I’ve never really _seen_ it, you know?”

Katara nodded. “I do know. We rarely stay anywhere for very long, and we always have to be careful about revealing who we really are.” She paused thoughtfully. “I think I’d like to travel too. It would be nice to visit some of the friends I’ve made along the way, at the very least. Though I imagine at some point I will be expected to go home and help rebuild the Southern Water Tribe.” 

“I’d like to see the South Pole one day. You know… under different circumstances. I don’t know how much use I would be, but maybe I can help rebuild in some way. It can’t fix the past, but maybe it would be a step in the right direction.”

She smiled warmly at him. “I think it would be. Actions speak louder than words, and if people got to know who you really are, as I have, I’m sure they would warm up to you. Reparation has to start somewhere.”

Zuko looked over at her. His expression was hesitant and unsure. “Do you think so? Do you really think reparation is even possible?”

Katara wasn’t sure if he meant for himself or for the Fire Nation as a whole, though she had a suspicion that he was laying the burden of making amends solely on his own shoulders. She knew that no matter how hard he tried to make up for both his own crimes and the crimes of his nation, there would never be true, universal forgiveness. Not in their lifetime anyway. But she had meant what she said; if people got to know _Zuko_ , she was sure they would see just how honourable and benevolent he truly was. He had a kind heart, and he was finally allowing it to guide him. 

“I don’t know Zuko… the past hundred years have left a wound on the world that I don’t think will ever fully heal. But I do think in time, we can pave a new way forward. Peace _is_ possible. It will just take a lot of work.”

He let out a small sigh and nodded. “Sometimes I feel like I’ll never be done. I’ve made so many mistakes that I need to atone for, and as the prince of the Fire Nation, it’s my responsibility to shoulder the responsibility for my nation’s mistakes as well, even if I am a banished prince who will never come close to the throne. I _want_ to do the work, and I want to at least try to make amends in any way I can. But I’m just so… tired.”

Katara frowned, and her heart ached for him. It was a lot for anyone to take on, let alone one teenager. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers. He looked up at her in surprise, but didn’t pull away. “It’s obviously not to the same degree, but I do know what it feels like to feel like to take on more responsibility than you should. You don’t have to do it all alone. You said you were here for me… well that goes both ways. I’m here for you too. If the prince of the Fire Nation and the daughter of the Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe can put aside their differences and become friends, then maybe others will follow our example and give each other a chance. We can do it together.”

Zuko studied her face for a moment, absorbing her words. She couldn’t tell what was going on in his mind, but he was looking at her in such a tender way that she knew her words had touched him. 

“Maybe we _can_ do it together. We both want to travel anyway, right? Maybe we can travel together across all three nations and… I don’t know. Help people, and talk to them. Show them that it is possible to bridge the gap between the nations.”

“Just the two of us?” she asked tentatively.

He nodded. “If you’re comfortable with that. It would be nice to not have to take care of anyone but each other for a change.”

She couldn’t help but grin at the idea. Obviously there would be a lot of details to work out, and she would want to at least see her father and Gran Gran first, but what else _would_ she do really? Sokka would definitely go home and help their father, she had no doubt about that. Aang would be busy being the Avatar, Suki would most likely track down her missing Kyoshi Warriors and bring them home, and Toph… well. She wasn’t so sure what Toph would get up to after the war, but Katara was certain it would be nothing she wanted to be a part of. But what better way could she be of use than helping those in need and attempting to broker peace? She and Zuko were a perfect example of the strength that could come out of forgiveness. Her feelings for him aside, it wasn’t at all a bad idea.

“Alright,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m in. If we win this war and we both survive, we’ll start a new adventure of our own.”

A grin broke across his face; something that Katara had never seen before. For the first time she could read his expression like a book, and it stunned her that he seemed both excited and genuinely relieved. She began to wonder if maybe the feelings she felt for him weren’t so one sided after all. 

His golden eyes were fixed on hers, and she found herself getting lost in the warmth of them. He in turn seemed to be equally transfixed, and for a few moments the world seemed to fade away and there was nothing but the two of them. Zuko’s expression softened, and he reached up with his free hand and gently brushed his fingers down her cheek towards her mouth. The gesture caused her breath to catch in her throat, and her lips parted slightly, expectantly. 

“Katara? Where are you?” Toph’s voice came suddenly, shattering the moment between them. 

Both blushing furiously, they pulled apart and scrambled out of the pool just as Toph came strolling into the clearing. 

“Toph! Hey! We uh, we were just enjoying the hot spring!” Katara blurted out, grateful that her friend couldn’t see how hot her face had grown. 

“Uh huh… I bet you were,” Toph replied, smirking mischievously. “I hate to interrupt, but Aang is looking for you. It’s time for this Waterbending lesson.”

“Oh no! I must have lost track of the time,” Katara said, hurriedly gathering up her discarded clothing. 

Zuko silently gathered his things, pulling his pants on quickly while avoiding looking at either of them. Toph’s sightless eyes were fixed on the Firebender however, a knowing smirk glued to her face. 

“Well, don’t keep him waiting, or he’ll come looking for you himself. He seems to be convinced that you were abducted by Firebenders… I guess he was partially right,” Toph said teasingly. 

Katara thought she would literally die of embarrassment as she quickly threw on her clothes. Even though she knew Toph couldn’t see her, she avoided her gaze nonetheless. 

“I’ll… head back then. Thanks for letting me know, Toph,” she said, dashing out of the clearing before the intrusive Earthbender could tease her any further. 

Zuko watched her disappear into the trees, his heart dropping in disappointment. He finished dressing, then finally turned to Toph, who was still watching him with an obnoxious smirk plastered on her face. 

“Does Twinkletoes know he has competition?” she asked, clearly amused. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Zuko lied unconvincingly. 

This made Toph’s smirk grow into an evil grin. “Well if it helps, my money is on you.”

Zuko wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He knew that she could pick up on people’s heartbeats using her earth sense, so she probably knew exactly who felt what about whom, or at least had a solid guess. But he had messed up with Katara enough times in the past, and he wouldn’t assume anything unless he heard it from her directly. The very last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable or break her trust in him. He was absolutely certain that if he broke it again,there would be no more second chances. 

“Let’s just go back,” he said, opting to avoid the topic altogether. 

“Whatever you say, Sparky.”

XXXX

That night at dinner, Katara seemed to be determined to look anywhere but at Zuko. This was the second time over the last few nights that she had acted like this, and it made him paranoid. At least this time he had a better idea as to what the reason was; she was embarrassed. He supposed the last time she had avoided him like this she was feeling much the same, but it was confusing nonetheless. There were moments with her that he was so sure that her feelings for him were more than mere friendship, but then there were others when she was so closed off to him. He couldn’t make sense of any of it. 

He knew without a doubt that he was falling for her. From the moment they had met she had captivated him, though back then it was more of a physical attraction than anything. There was something about the fierceness in her crystal blue eyes that he couldn’t get out of his mind. She had endless amounts of courage, and he respected that from the very beginning. But it wasn’t until after their time stuck in the crystal catacombs together that he started to feel a stirring of something more. 

After he returned to the Fire Nation, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even after he got back together with Mai, his mind kept wandering to the surprisingly fiery Waterbender. Of course this was one more thing to add to the ever growing list of things to feel guilty about, but at the time he brushed it off as nothing more than a lingering affection after the moment they had shared. Then he had a moment of total clarity. It came not long after he had left home and been accepted as Aang’s teacher. He had been trying so hard to earn everyone’s trust, and for the most part he had succeeded. But Katara was so frustratingly stubborn. Sokka had told him several times not to let it bother him, that Katara just needed time to let her anger burn up and then she would come around. But he didn’t have the patience for it. Every glare from her, every vicious remark, every time she pointedly ignored him felt like a dagger in his gut. 

One night he had made another attempt to befriend her, and had followed her inside the Air Temple after gathering up the last of the dirty dishes, intending on offering to do the washing up for her since she had done all the cooking. Upon seeing him, she had snatched the dishes from his hands and spat out, “I don’t need _your_ help.” He had stormed off back to his room, feeling hurt. But as he dwelled on it, he suddenly realized that the reason her anger hurt him so much; he _cared_ for her. Sure, he cared about the others. They had accepted and befriended him, and given him a sense of true companionship that he had never really experienced. But Katara… she was different. Somewhere along the way, despite being enemies and against all odds, she had burrowed into his heart and settled there. 

The day Azula had ambushed them was the day it all began to change. Up until then Katara’s anger towards him had seemed to lessen ever so slightly, and it had encouraged him to keep trying. But what had really given him home was the moment he was blasted off of the airship as he was fighting his sister. As he fell through the air he had a brief pang of finality, assuming his newfound friends had fled and he would fall to his death. But they had not, and within seconds he felt a hand around his wrist, pulling him into Appa’s saddle. As he looked up to thank his saviour, he was stunned to see Katara looking back at him. What was even more stunning was the look of worry and relief that etched her features. She turned away almost immediately after, but he had seen it, that tiny spark of hope that she might still care for him yet. 

Afterwards he felt like he was still in freefall, and this time there was nobody to catch him. He began to fall hard, and by the time she had finally forgiven him he was hopelessly hers. He didn’t dare entertain the idea of actually _being_ with her however. He cared for her too much to risk losing her, even if it meant they would only ever be friends. But as the days passed he couldn’t help but suspect that she might have been starting to feel something more for him as well. 

He had spent the whole evening musing over what had happened at the hot spring, and what might have happened had Toph not interrupted. He wanted to kiss her, and he was so sure that she wanted him to. But now she was avoiding him again, and he felt like it was a step backwards. He let out a sigh as he pushed his food around his plate, wishing he had the courage to just be honest with her. 

“You okay?” asked Suki, who was seated next to him. 

He looked up at her and tried to force a smile, but only managed a grimace. “Yeah, just tired.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him, but didn’t press further. “Why don’t you turn in early? I’ll make Sokka take care of the dishes tonight.”

“What?!” Sokka replied, having overheard her remark. “I already had to do the lunch dishes!” 

Suki rolled her eyes at him. “It won’t kill you to do it twice in one day. Besides, Zuko has to get up early, and you can sleep all day if you like.”

Sokka sighed dramatically. “Fiiiiiine. I’ll do it.” 

Zuko could feel a smile tugging at his lips. Sokka had a habit of amusing him without even trying. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I think I am going to head to bed now, it’s been a long day.”

“I think I might go up early too,” Aang said. I’ve got a bit of a headache.”

Katara, who had been fixated on her plate, looked up at the young Airbender with concern. “Can I do anything to help?” 

Aang grinned widely at her, giving her that same affectionate look that he always got when Katara was even remotely nice to him. It was a look that turned Zuko’s stomach into angry knots. 

“I think I just need a good sleep, but thanks!”

Zuko stood, not in the mood to watch Aang make love-eyes at Katara. Her gaze shifted to him as he got up, and for a moment they locked eyes. He was familiar enough with her moods by now that he could tell she suspected that her sudden coldness towards him was a contributing factor to his early retirement, and she was obviously feeling guilty for it. But there was nothing they could say, not with the others around. So he turned up the corner of his mouth in a half-smile, then turned and left the room. 

He went up the stairs and to his room at the end of the hall, closing the door firmly behind him. Once he was alone, he let out a heavy breath, then began getting ready for bed. He really was quite tired, that wasn’t a lie. But he certainly was glad to be alone. He had a strong suspicion that Katara would be out on the dock again tonight, possibly waiting for him, but he needed his solitude more than anything. Just for one night. He would corner her in the morning and talk to her then. 

He wasn’t even mad at her really; he knew how guarded she could be with her heart, and how hesitant she was to truly admit to what she wanted. She was always too busy caring for others or prepping for the war that she never gave herself time to figure out her own feelings. He just needed some time alone to recover from the sting of yet another hurdle in his relationship with her. Tomorrow he would let her know that he understood. But tonight he needed to be selfish and sulk.


	4. Chapter 4

Katara had not slept well at all. She had obligingly helped Sokka clean up after dinner, and then headed to bed shortly after, though once again she had found herself laying in the dark unable to fall asleep. She had crept out of the house and towards the dock, partially for some fresh air, but mostly because she had hoped that Zuko would follow her. When she had returned from the hot spring she was absolutely mortified, and that had carried on through the evening. It wasn’t until she had seen the defeated look on Zuko’s face that she knew her avoidance of him for the sake of her own pride was doing nothing but hurt his feelings. She felt terrible, and she wanted to apologize. 

She waited and waited, watching the moon slowly drift across the sky, but he never appeared. She returned to her room and managed to get a few hours of restless sleep, then woke again shortly after dawn. She knew Zuko would be up early as well, and she hoped that she could catch him before his training with Aang. Even if they didn’t have time to fully talk, she at least wanted him to know that she _wanted_ to talk. She dressed quickly and headed downstairs, doing a quick check of the common areas before heading to the back door. 

As she reached for the handle, it suddenly opened. She yelped and jumped back to avoid getting smacked by the door, looking up to see Zuko standing before her with a look of surprise on his face. 

“Oh, uh… hey Katara,” he said timidly. “Sorry I startled you, I didn’t know you were here.”

“It’s fine, no harm done,” she replied, awkwardly twisting her hair around her finger. 

Zuko stepped into the house and closed the door behind him, but remained silent. Katara watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

“Hey, have you seen-” 

“Zuko, I wanted to-”

They spoke simultaneously, and both smiled sheepishly as they cut each other off. 

“You first,” Katara said, gesturing for him to speak. 

“I was just going to ask if you have seen Aang. He’s late for training.”

“Oh, no I haven’t. He probably just slept in,” Katara replied. 

“Yeah… probably. I was just going to go check on him.”

“Right.” Katara turned her eyes to the ground, unable to find the words she wanted to say.

Zuko nodded, then turned away and began walking out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. She took a step towards him and called out. “Wait!” 

He stopped mid-stride and turned, and she could clearly see the trepidation in his eyes. 

“I… I’m sorry about yesterday. I know you’re busy right now, but I was hoping we could talk later, if that’s okay,” she said.

He looked relieved, and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, of course. I’ll come find you after breakfast.”

Katara nodded, returning his smile and feeling quite relieved herself. She had been worried that he would be angry at her. He nodded back at her, then turned and headed upstairs. Feeling much lighter, Katara headed over to the sink and began filling a kettle. It was still a little early to start breakfast, since the rest of the house probably wouldn’t be awake for at least another hour, but she figured some tea would be nice, and would tide her over until then. She set the kettle on the stove, using flint to start the flame, then grabbed three mugs out of the cupboard. She wasn’t sure if Zuko or Aang would want any, but she figured she’d pull out extras just in case. 

While she waited for the water to boil, she grabbed the ceramic teapot that had been cleaned and left to dry on the counter, placing the mesh strainer over the opening and filling it with loose tea leaves. She leaned against the counter staring out the window at the pale pinks and yellows of the early morning skyline. She thought about her conversation with Zuko the previous day, and wondered if Zuko still wanted to travel with her. She hadn’t meant to brush him off so coldly through dinner. She was embarrassed, sure, but she also knew without a doubt that Toph could tell exactly how she felt about the Firebender and she didn’t want to invite further teasing. She knew full well how hard her heart pounded every time she looked at him, and Toph had an annoying habit of using the truth as ammunition. 

The kettle began to whistle, breaking her from her thoughts. She strode to the stove, extinguished the flame, and grabbed the kettle. Just as she began to pour the water into the teapot, Zuko returned alone, looking worried. 

“Katara, I think Aang is sick,” he said as she looked up at him. 

She set the kettle aside and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“It took me a couple minutes to wake him up, but he was really out of it. I think he has a fever; he felt very warm. I think you should come take a look at him.”

She nodded and followed him out of the kitchen. Zuko led her silently up the stairs and into Aang’s room. Right away she noticed a sheen of sweat on the young Airbender’s face, and she was quite sure that Zuko’s assessment had been correct. She sat on the edge of his bed and placed a hand on his forehead; his skin was burning hot. He stirred feebly at her touch and one eye cracked open. He gave her a weak smile.

“Hi Katara,” he croaked.

“Hi Aang, how are you feeling?” She asked, her voice gentle.

“I’m okay,” he said, then immediately coughed. 

Katara frowned at him and said, “Aang, tell me the truth.”

He groaned and closed his eyes. “My throat hurts, and my head hurts.”

Katara looked back at Zuko, who was hovering in the doorway. He was clearly concerned, and frankly so was she. “Zuko, can you go grab a cloth and a bowl of cold water?” She asked.

He nodded once, then swiftly left the room. Katara turned back to Aang.

“Is your nose stuffy?” she asked. 

He slowly shook his head, grimacing at the movement. 

“And when you cough, does it hurt in your chest? Or just in your throat?” 

He reached a hand up and pointed to his throat. That relieved her slightly; if his lungs were okay then it wasn’t likely a chest infection. Judging by his symptoms, she was fairly certain it was just a flu, and that she could manage on her own. 

Zuko came back into the room with a bowl and clean cloth, crossing to the bed to set them down on the side table. Katara thanked him and soaked the cloth, wringing it out the excess water before folding it neatly and placing the cool cloth on Aang’s forehead. He let out a small groan of relief.

“You stay here and rest, and Zuko and I are going to go make you some soup and tea, okay?” 

Aang nodded, but said nothing. Katara gestured for Zuko to follow her and together they headed back to the kitchen. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Zuko asked as they walked down the hall.

“I think so. I’m pretty sure he has the flu, so as long as we keep his temperature under control he should be better in a couple of days.”

He let out a small sigh of relief, and Katara couldn’t help but find it endearing. Once they were back in the kitchen, Katara had Zuko finish pouring the hot water into the teapot while she grabbed a pot and prepared a broth for Aang. While waiting for the tea to steep Zuko came to help Katara, lighting the stove for her as she finely chopped a few vegetables for the broth. She set it all on the stove to simmer, then let out a sigh of her own, leaning against the counter heavily. 

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I was up early,” she said with a small smile. 

“I’m just glad you know what to do,” Zuko replied, leaning next to her. 

“You would have figured it out, I’m sure.”

Zuko chuckled. “I appreciate your faith in me, but I’m afraid I’m basically useless in situations like this. Illness isn’t something I can fight with my swords or my bending.”

“Honestly, if it was anything worse than a flu, I’m not sure how much use I would be either. I have had training in healing, but without proper medicine and supplies there’s only so much I can do.” 

“You would have figured it out,” he replied teasingly. 

She rolled her eyes, but gave him a smile. He looked down at her with a soft expression, and once again she was captivated by him. She wanted nothing more in that moment but to kiss him, but just as she had began to lean closer they were interrupted by the appearance of Suki and a ragged looking sokka. She pushed away from the counter, her cheeks turning pink. 

“Good morning!” she said, busying herself with the now over-steeped tea. 

Sokka groaned in reply, slumping heavily into a chair at the dining table. Suki gently ran her fingers through his loose hair, frowning at Katara.

“He’s not feeling very well today. He woke up with a headache,” she explained.

Katara and Zuko exchanged worried looks. “Aang isn’t well this morning either. He has a fever and a sore throat… I’m pretty sure it’s the flu.”

Sokka leaned forward, resting his head on the surface of the table with a groan. Suki’s frown deepened. “Sokka doesn’t have a fever, but I do recall that Aang said he had a headache last night. Do you think they have the same thing?” 

“It’s very likely,” Katara said with a nod. “Sokka, you should go back to bed and rest for today. We just finished the tea, and soup is being made so we will bring you something to eat in a bit.”

“But I was going to go fishing today, and I wanted to polish my sword,” Sokka replied in protest. “I just have a headache, I’ll be fine.”

Katara opened her mouth to argue, but Zuko cut her off. “Sokka, don’t be dumb. You can do all that tomorrow, and if you _do_ have the flu, it’s better to fight it off now before it gets even worse.” 

Sokka raised his head and pouted at the both of them while Suki watched in amusement. 

“Don’t pout Sokka, you know he’s right. Go back to bed, and I’ll bring you some tea in a minute,” Katara said with a tone of finality. 

Sokka let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly got up from the table. “Whatever you say, _mom and dad_. I guess I have no choice in the matter.”

Suki grabbed him by the arm, barely suppressing her laughter. “No you don’t. Now listen to your parents and get back into bed,” she said, casting Katara and Zuko a sly smirk over her shoulder. 

The both of them turned bright red, their eyes fixed on Suki as she led a protesting Sokka back upstairs. Zuko cleared his throat, recovering first. “Um… I’ll bring Sokka and Aang some tea,” he said, grabbing the teapot and pouring out two mugs. 

Without looking at her, he grabbed the mugs and hurried out of the kitchen while Katara busied herself with stirring the gently simmering broth. She was absolutely certain that Sokka had no clue that there was anything beyond friendship going on between her and Zuko, but it was just like him to say something that unintentionally alluded otherwise. She still wasn’t completely sure that Zuko shared her feelings, but after the hot spring and the moment they had just shared she was convinced that he was at least attracted to her. Sokka referring to them as mom and dad gave the impression that their relationship was far deeper and more long term than that however, and she really couldn’t blame Zuko for running out of the room. 

Almost 20 minutes had passed before Zuko finally returned, and he seemed to have regained his usual stoic composure. He walked into the kitchen and let out a sigh. 

“How are they doing?” Katara asked, giving the soup a taste to see if it was ready yet. 

“Sokka seems okay. He’s still fairly alert and is able to move around, but he admitted that he feels pretty awful. Suki is staying with him and said she’d look after him so we can focus on Aang.”

Katara turned off the stove and took the pot off, setting it aside to cool for a few minutes. She collected a couple of bowls, and looked over at Zuko as he continued. 

“Aang is about the same as he was this morning. I had to help him sit up, and I sat with him while he sipped a bit of tea but he didn’t have much interest in it. I propped him up with some pillows and told him to keep sipping on it, and that you’d be up with some soup soon. That cheered him up a little,” he said, his tone laced with an edge of annoyance. 

Was that jealousy she detected? She busied herself with giving the soup another stir, and then labeled some out into two bowls, trying not to dwell on the idea of Zuko being jealous of her attention to Aang. She picked up one bowl and handed it to him with a smile, then picked up the other. 

“Let’s make some deliveries,” she said.

Together they headed up the stairs once more. They stopped briefly at Sokka’s room, handing his soup off to Suki before heading to Aang’s room. When they entered he was still propped in a sitting position, but his tea was left abandoned and he dozed with his chin resting on his chest. Katara walked over and sat on the edge of his bed again, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Aang, we brought you something to eat,” she said softly. 

His eyes fluttered open, and he forced a smile. “Thank you Katara,” he croaked. 

“Shh, don’t try to talk if your throat is hurting.” 

He obeyed, watching her silently as she scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to his lips. He ate slowly, but with her help he managed to get most of it down. Zuko stood at the end of the bed, watching in equal silence. Katara could feel his eyes on her, and the sensation made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. 

After a while Aang turned his head away, clearly done with eating. She set the bowl aside and felt his forehead again; there was no change in temperature, but at least he had something in his stomach now. She tucked his blanket up to his chest, bundling him up in a warm little cocoon. 

“Lay down and try to get some sleep, okay? I’ll come check on you again in a little bit,” she said.

Aang nodded weakly, lifting himself slightly so he could settle. Before he could however, he suddenly leaned forward and threw up. Katara stood immediately to avoid getting hit, but stood beside him rubbing his back while he coughed up everything he had just eaten. 

“I’m sorry…” he said weakly once he was finished. 

“Don’t be, it happens,” Katara said, giving him a reassuring smile. 

She immediately pulled off the top blankets, glad to see that nothing had gotten through to the sheets underneath. She bunched up the soiled blankets and looked over to Zuko, who had already moved closer to help. Using his bending, he heated up the water in the bowl that he had brought in previously, then used the damp cloth to wipe Aang’s mouth. 

“I’ll be right back with a clean blanket for you,” she said. 

She left the room and headed down the hall, wanting to get the dirty blankets into some water before any stains set in. She rushed downstairs and found a washing basin, dropped the blankets into it, then used her bending to fill it with water from the sink. Once she was done she went back up the stairs. Just as she reached the linen closet, Toph poked her head out of her room and gave her a curious look. 

“What’s going on out here?” she asked. 

Katara sighed, pulled open the closet, and grabbed some clean blankets. “Sokka and Aang are sick, so it’s going to be a fend for yourself kind of day,” she replied. “There is soup in the kitchen though, if you’re hungry. 

“Are they going to be okay?” 

Katara closed the closet door and gave her a reassuring smile, despite knowing she couldn’t actually see it. “They should be fine after a few days of rest. No need to worry.” 

“I wasn’t worried,” she replied unconvincingly. “I’m gunna go have some soup. See you later!” 

Katara watched her march down the hall and rolled her eyes. Toph may have been rude, mischievous, and stubborn, but Katara knew that she really did care about her friends, as much as she pretended not to. 

She returned to Aang’s room, stopping in the doorway at the scene before her. In her absence, Zuko had helped Aang change his shirt and cleaned up any remaining mess, and now he was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently wiping Aang’s face with the cloth.

“Feel better?” he asked the young Airbender.

Aang nodded. “Thank you Zuko.”

“I’m here to help you, okay? Whatever you need.”

Aang nodded again, letting out a small sigh. Zuko reached over and grabbed the tea that had been left abandoned earlier and placed it in his hands. 

“Drink a little of this, it will get the taste out of your mouth.”

Aang obliged, taking a few shaky sips of the tea. When Zuko was satisfied he took the mug and placed it back on the table. 

“Alright, time to lay down. Katara’s back with a clean blanket,” Zuko said, without looking up. 

Her cheeks burned slightly and she wondered if he was aware that she had been standing there watching him. She crossed the room as Zuko helped Aang lay down, then together they spread the fresh blankets out overtop of him and tucked him in. By the time they were done, Aang was fast asleep. 

Zuko grabbed the bowl of dirty water and the soiled cloth while Katara grabbed the soup bowl and together they snuck out of the room, closing the door behind them so Aang could rest. 

XXXX

Toph sat alone at the table, slowly eating a bowl of soup. To be honest she wasn’t even that hungry, but if it was going to be a ‘fend for yourself’ day she figured she would take advantage of food she didn’t have to prepare while it was available. As she finished up, Katara and Zuko came into the kitchen, setting what they were carrying onto the counter. 

“Morning Toph,” Zuko said, spotting her. 

“Morning Sparky,” she replied. “I heard you’ve spent your morning playing nursemaid.” 

“Katara’s done most of the work, I’m just helping where I can.”

There was a moment of silence, and a shift in their posture. Katara’s heart began to pound, and if she had to guess, they were once again giving each other googly eyes. She wished they would just admit their feelings already, because it was starting to get annoying feeling their hearts racing every time they were around each other.

“Well I’d love to stay and chat, but it’s getting rather stuffy in here. Suddenly there is an excess of heat in the room,” she said, smirking. 

Zuko and Katara’s posture shifted again, and she could tell that they had understood the jab. She cackled to herself, then stood. She gave them a short wave, then headed out the back door. In truth, she wasn’t lying about it being stuffy in the house. She had been feeling hot all morning, and it was refreshing to be out in the cool morning air. She walked down the path leading to the beach, and out onto the sand.

After their foray in the desert Toph had learned how to see through sand relatively well, though she couldn't quite get past the ‘blurriness’ of it. She preferred to stick to solid earth, but she wanted to go dip her toes into the ocean, hoping it would cool her down even more. But the further she walked along the beach, the more difficult it became to see where she was going. She was starting to feel dizzy and disoriented, and she didn’t like it. She was particularly nervous, as the ocean was somewhere close by and she couldn’t see it anymore. She could hear it off to her right, but it was difficult to pinpoint just how far she was from it when there was little around on the beach to bounce the sound back at her. 

She continued to walk, keeping the sound of the ocean on her right side. She was getting dizzier and dizzier, and it was starting to make her nauseated. She needed to find something solid, and quickly. She could barely see at all now, but she could faintly sense some solid ground a few yards to the left. She headed towards it, tripping over her feet as she went. She started to panic, and dropped to her hands and knees to crawl the rest of the way. 

Finally her hands touched dirt, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She crawled forward onto stable ground, splaying her fingers into the dirt appreciatively. But for some reason the dizziness wasn’t going away. She stood and wandered further inland and found a small grouping of boulders. She felt so hot, and so dizzy, she just needed something sturdy to hold on to. But as she reached out to touch a boulder, the world gave a violent spin, and everything went dark. 

XXXX

Zuko sat at the dining table alone, sipping on a fresh cup of tea. Shortly after Toph had left, Katara had said she was going to clean Aang’s blankets and then take a bath to clean up, so he had used her absence as a chance to destress after the events of the morning. It was nearly midday now; he could feel the pull of the sun as it approached its peak in the sky. He had been so relieved that morning to hear that Katara wanted to talk to him about what happened at the hot spring yesterday, but amongst all the chaos, any chance to have a real talk alone went completely out the window. Besides, with both Sokka and Aang sick, he didn’t think Katara would be in the right mindspace for a heart to heart anyway. 

He looked up as Suki came into the kitchen, carrying Sokka’s empty mug and bowl. She nodded at Zuko, then placed them on the counter and joined him at the table. 

“Hey Suki. How is Sokka doing?” he asked.

“He’s sleeping right now, but he doesn’t seem too bad. His appetite is normal anyway, so that’s a good sign, and he doesn’t have much of a fever at all.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“What about Aang? Any improvement?” 

Zuko sighed. “He seems worse actually. We took him some soup and he ate most of it, but he threw it all back up afterwards. He’s sleeping now, so we’ll try again after he wakes up.”

“Oh no, poor Aang,” Suki replied with concern. 

“Katara is taking good care of him. I’m sure he will be better after a good rest.”

“Where is Katara anyway?” Suki asked. 

“She went to go clean up. She’ll probably be back down soon; she’s been gone a while.”

“You feeling lonely without her?” Suki said casually. 

Zuko gave her a suspicious look, and he wondered if Toph had said something to her. “What do you mean?” he asked, feigning ignorance. 

She shrugged. “You two have been spending a lot of time together lately, and I see the way you look at her when you think nobody is watching you.”

Zuko felt his cheeks grow hot, and he took a long sip of his tea to hide it. Suki smirked at his reaction, looking satisfied. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied again. 

“Mmmhmm, I’m sure.”

Before Zuko could reply, the very person they had just been discussing walked into the room. Katara was in clean clothes and was wringing water out of her hair using her bending. She smiled at the pair of them as she came in, and moved to join them at the table. To both Zuko’s delight and dismay, she chose to sit beside him, causing Suki to cover her laughter behind her hands. Katara gave her a confused look, but Zuko interrupted before she could inquire.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Much better, thanks,” she replied with a smile. “I checked in on Aang and he’s still fast asleep, so hopefully some rest will help.”

“I hope so too. The last thing we need right now is a sick Avatar,” Suki said with a frown. 

“Honestly it was only a matter of time. He has been pushing himself rather hard lately,” Katara replied. “He has a lot on his shoulders.”

“Maybe these triple training sessions aren’t necessary. Maybe we should do two a day instead and come up with a new schedule,” Zuko suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea, really. He could do Firebending every day, and then alternate between Earth and Waterbending. I’m sure Toph wouldn’t mind some days off,” Katara said. 

“Speaking of Toph, have you seen her at all today?” Suki asked. 

“I think she went for a walk,” Zuko said. “Though that was about an hour ago, so she should have come back by now.”

“Do you think she’s upstairs?” Suki wondered, rising from the table.

“I didn’t see her,” Katara said. 

“And I’ve been down here since she left, and I haven’t seen her come in. She could have come in through the front, but I probably would have heard the door open,” Zuko added.

Katara stood up as well, looking concerned. Zuko rose to meet her. “I’ll go look for her.”

“I’ll come with you,” Katara said, moving towards the back door. “Suki can you stay here in case she comes back?”

“Sure, no problem. Someone should stay behind in case Aang wakes up anyway.”

Katara thanked her, and then she and Zuko headed out the back door and into the yard. They walked towards the beach in silence, but Zuko could tell that Katara was feeling guilty for not having realized Toph had been gone for so long. She was more than self-sufficient, but it really wasn’t like her to just vanish. He could definitely understand Katara’s guilt. 

Once they reached the beach, Zuko spotted footprints in the sand immediately. He pointed them out and together they followed her path. It seemed like she had started heading towards the water and then turned back and walked parallel to the ocean for a time. They followed her tracks for a couple of minutes before they veered sharply to the left and into a thicket of low grass and bushes. As they approached they could see a small figure laying beside a boulder, and simultaneously they broke into a run. 

Toph lay unconscious on the ground, and didn’t even stir when Katara placed a hand on her forehead. She was hot to the touch. 

“Oh no... “ Katara said, withdrawing her hand. 

She didn’t have to say anything else. Zuko scooped the small Earthbender into his arms, and together they hurried back to the house. 

Suki was surprised to see them back so quickly, but her face dropped as she saw Toph’s unconscious form.

“Not her too…” she said worriedly. 

“Her fever is as bad as Aang’s,” Katara said. “Can you grab a cloth and some cold water?”

Suki nodded and rushed into the kitchen as Katara followed Zuko up the stairs. They brought Toph to her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. Katara deftly worked to remove the pins holding her hair in place, letting it down to relieve any pressure on her head. Zuko took a step back and watched as she pulled the blankets up around the Earthbender, then reach up to cradle her face with her hand. Suki came in carrying a bowl of cool water, setting it down on Toph’s nightstand before excusing herself, not wanting to crowd the room. 

Katara soaked the cloth in the cold water and wrang it out as she had done for Aang, then gently dabbed the cool fabric against Toph’s forehead. This caused her to stirr, and her eyes crept open. She looked momentarily alarmed, reaching up to touch Katara’s hand. She breathed a small sigh and whispered, “Katara…”

“I’m here Toph. Zuko and I are both here, and we’re going to take care of you, okay?” Katara replied, folding the cloth and resting it on her forehead. 

Toph nodded weakly, her lip quivering slightly. Zuko had never seen her looking so vulnerable before, and it was jarring. He admittedly often forgot that she was blind at all, but with her feet up off the floor and the fever making her groggy, it seemed that her blindness was in sharp focus. Though despite it all, he was impressed that she could tell it was Katara next to her simply by touching her hand. 

Katara removed the cloth from Toph’s forehead, placing it back into the bowl of water. She arranged the pillows so she would be comfortable, then tucked the blankets in tight around her. 

“Try and get some sleep, okay? We will come check on you in a little bit,” Katara softly instructed. 

The caring way she spoke to Toph stirred something in Zuko’s chest. Sokka had been joking when he had called them mom and dad, but the more he watched Katara with their two young friends, the more he noticed just how mothering she really was. He realized with a pang that it reminded him of his own mother. 

Katara leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Toph’s forehead, normally a gesture that the brash young Earthbender would be almost offended by. But Toph merely closed her eyes and nestled into her pillows with an airy sigh. Katara stood and gestured for Zuko to follow her, and he obliged. 

They walked in silence down the hall, but Zuko could tell that Katara was distressed. He reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her to a stop. She turned and looked up at him without pulling away. 

“They will all be fine Katara. You are taking such good care of them both, and in the meantime I will take care of you. Let’s go downstairs and have some lunch, okay? Toph and Aang are both sleeping, and we can check on them in a little while.” 

She let out a heavy sigh, then to his surprise, stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. He froze for a moment; he hadn’t been expecting that. He wrapped his arms around her in turn, pulling her into him tightly. He never wanted to let her go. 

They stayed in their embrace for only a few moments before Katara pulled away, looking sheepish. Zuko had to resist the urge to pull her back. 

“Let’s go make lunch. I’m starving,” she said, turning back to the stairs. 

Zuko let out a silent breath, using every ounce of his willpower not to reach for her. It was clear that she didn’t want to talk, but all the words left unsaid between them was driving him crazy. He followed her to the stairs and together they returned to the kitchen to fill Suki in.

The hours passed uneventfully, and before they knew it the sun had set and darkness settled in. Zuko, Katara, and Suki sat around the table eating a stew that Katara had spent the late afternoon making. Zuko sat back in his chair feeling full and exhausted. 

“How was Toph?” he asked Katara.

“About the same, though I was able to get her to eat some soup and she drank almost a whole glass of water, so that’s promising. What about Aang?” she replied.

“I got him to eat too, and he kept it down this time. I think his fever may have come down a little; he was a lot more aware, though he said his throat still really hurt.”

“Hopefully they both get a good sleep and start feeling better in the morning. I’ll look in on them both before I go to bed,” Katara said. “How’s Sokka doing?”

Suki had been staring down at her half-finished bowl, pushing little chunks of meat around with her fork. She seemed oblivious to the question. Zuko gave Katara a concerned look, then called Suki’s name. She looked up sharply. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” 

“I asked how Sokka was doing,” Katara repeated.

“Oh, better I think. I brought him some stew and he gobbled it all down, so his appetite is unchanged at least. He’s had a mild fever all day, but otherwise he’s doing okay.”

“Are _you_ feeling okay?” Katara asked. 

Suki sighed and dropped her fork into the bowl. “You know, I’m not feeling that great to be honest.”

Katara reached out and felt her forehead. “Hmm… you don’t have a fever, but maybe you should head to bed early just in case.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll head up now,” Suki replied. “Have a good night.”

“Feel better,” Katara replied as Suki rose from the table. 

As she headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Zuko turned to Katara. “I guess we’re outnumbered now.”

“I really hope everyone is better tomorrow. I don’t know what to do if Toph and Aang get any worse… we’d have to go into town and get medicine, but with Suki and Sokka down, I’d probably have to go myself.”

“I could go. I know the village well,” Zuko replied.

“Except that around here you are probably even more recognizable than Aang. The last thing we need is someone ratting you out to the guards or something, especially while everyone is sick.”

Zuko frowned. She had a point, but he still didn’t like it. He hated feeling useless. “Well I guess there is no point in arguing until we know for sure we actually need to get medicine,” he said dismissively. 

Katara pursed her lips at him in annoyance, but didn’t argue. He couldn’t help but smirk; he knew her well enough to know exactly what was on her mind. She was one of the most stubborn people he knew, and it was obvious that she thought there would be no argument at all if the topic came up again, because she would absolutely refuse to budge and let him go to the village. 

He stood and began collecting the dishes from the table, not even bothering to hide the amused smirk on his face. Katara watched him for a moment with a confused expression, then got up and followed him as he went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. 

“What are you smirking about?” she demanded.

Zuko shrugged in response. He turned on the tap and added soap to the basin, then started scrubbing the soiled dishes. Katara stood and watched him silently for a moment, and he could practically feel her eyes boring holes into the back of his head. She moved next to him and picked up a freshly cleaned bowl that he had set aside, using her bending to dry it before putting it in the cupboard. They continued that way for several minutes, the growing tension of Katara’s agitation amusing him greatly. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. 

“ _What is so funny?_ ” she said, placing her hand on his forearm to stop him from continuing the dishes. 

He looked over at her, captivated by the fierceness in her eyes. He set aside the last dish he had been cleaning, then grabbed a towel to dry his hands. “Nothing in particular. It’s just funny to think how well I’ve gotten to know you, especially in these last few days, when not too long ago you pretty much threatened to kill me.”

Her cheeks flushed pink, but she didn’t turn away. “What do you mean?” 

“I can usually tell what you’re thinking by the expression on your face. You’ve become predictable to me, and it’s amusing,” he replied with a chuckle.

“I’m not predictable!” she argued. 

“No, you definitely aren’t predictable in general, but the way you react to things is, if you know what to look for.”

“I didn’t realize you spent so much time looking at me,” Katara said, her annoyance giving way to flattery. 

Zuko stared at her for a moment, trying to think of something witty to say. But all that came out was the truth. “I can’t help it,” he whispered, surprising even himself with his sudden confession.

Katara’s lips parted to reply, but words seemed to fail her. Feeling bold, Zuko reached up to brush her hair behind her ear. But as his hand grazed her cheek, he could feel heat radiating off of her skin. He furrowed his brow, laying his palm on her forehead. 

“Katara, you’re burning up… are you feeling okay?” he asked, suddenly concerned. 

She blinked a few times and let out a shaking breath before replying. “I um… I think so. I have a bit of a headache, but I didn’t sleep well last night,” she replied. 

He frowned and let out a defeated sigh, partially for the loss of the moment they had just shared, and partially for having yet another victim of the damned flu. 

“You should go to bed and get some sleep. I’ll finish up down here,” he said.

“I feel okay though! And I still need to check on Toph and Aang-”

“Katara, I can handle it. They’re both asleep anyway, and you are of no use to anyone if this flu knocks you out too. I said I would take care of you, remember? So let me.”

She deflated slightly at his words, and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll head up now and go straight to bed.”

Zuko smiled at her, then reached up and gently ran his fingers over her cheek. She closed her eyes at his touch and leaned into him for just a moment, then she pulled away and took a step back. Zuko’s hand dropped limply to his side and he turned away with a slight blush. 

“Good night Zuko,” she said softly. 

“Good night Katara.”

He waited until he heard her heading up the stairs, then slumped forward and propped his elbows on the counter, burying his face in his hands. He couldn’t understand why she kept pulling away from him. Was he pushing her too hard? Or maybe she was only being nice to spare his feelings? This couldn’t go on any longer. 

Zuko let out a resolute sigh and moved to finish the last of the washing up. Tomorrow he would tell her how he feels, for better or worse. He couldn’t keep the truth in any longer, and he needed to know how she felt before he went insane.


	5. Chapter 5

When Zuko woke the next morning, his throat felt raw and swollen. With a groan he rolled out of bed and grabbed his water glass, taking a few swallows before setting it back down. Apart from his sore throat he didn’t feel too bad, so he begrudgingly got up and got ready for the day. 

Once he was cleaned up and dressed, he made his way down to the kitchen and set some tea. For good measure he put the pot of leftover soup on the stove to reheat as well, intending on bringing some to Toph and Aang. The kettle began to whistle, and as he poured the boiling water into the teapot, Sokka came shuffling into the room.

“Sokka, hey! How are you feeling?” 

He stretched dramatically and yawned before answering. “Much better actually. My throat still hurts a bit, but otherwise I feel pretty good. Suki on the other hand…”

“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” 

“I’m sure she will be, but she woke up this morning with a terrible headache and she hasn’t been able to get out of bed,” Sokka explained. “I actually came to make her some tea, so I’m glad you see you’re a step ahead.”

“Well I’m glad you’re feeling better at least. I may need your help caring for everyone.”

“Don’t tell me Katara got it too,” Sokka said in dismay. 

“She had a fever last night before she went to bed, so it’s definitely possible. I’ll go check on her when I check on Toph and Aang. I assume you can look after Suki?”

Sokka nodded. “Yeah of course. She nursed me all day yesterday, so it’s my turn now.”

“Great. I’ll let you know if I need help with the others, though with luck Aang and Toph will be better today too.”

Sokka crossed to the cupboard and took out several mugs, bringing them over to where Zuko stood waiting for the tea to steep. 

“I am heating up some of the soup from yesterday for anyone too sick to stomach real food, and there is leftover stew as well that we can reheat. The soup should be ready shortly,” Zuko said, pouring the tea into the mugs. 

“Okay great. I’ll bring this to Suki now and see what she feels up to eating.”

Zuko nodded as Sokka grabbed one of the mugs, and watched him head back up the stairs to Suki’s room. He gave the soup a stir and lowered the flame to let it simmer, then grabbed three mugs and headed upstairs as well. As he stepped onto the landing, he ran into a fully dressed Katara, who appeared to be heading downstairs. He was relieved for a moment, but then noticed the sheen of sweat on her forehead and the glazed look in her eyes. 

“Hey Katara, I was just coming to check on you. How are you feeling?” 

“Oh, I’m fine! Much better!” she replied unconvincingly. 

Zuko frowned at her, watching her wobble unsteadily on her feet. He shook his head. 

“Get back into bed,” he ordered.

“What? No! I’m _fine_.”

“You can barely stand, Katara.”

“I have things to do, and I need to check on Aang and Top-”

“Katara, go,” Zuko interrupted, blocking her path as she tried to brush past him. 

She huffed, and then broke into a coughing fit. If he wasn’t so concerned, he might have laughed.

“Fine, you win,” she said dejectedly, turning on her heel to return to her room.

Zuko followed her and placed the mugs on the table as Katara kicked off her shoes and settled back into bed. He reached out and felt her forehead; she was still quite warm, but not nearly as bad as their youngest two friends. She closed her eyes at his touch and let out a soft sigh. Without thinking, he slid his hand from her forehead down to her cheek, gently brushing his thumb over the corner of her mouth. How he wished he could brush his lips there instead. 

Coming to his senses he pulled away, picking up one of the mugs. He turned to hand it to Katara and caught the disappointed look in her eyes as she reached up to take it from him. He cleared his throat and straightened.

“I’ll heat up some stew for you and bring it up in a bit. I’m going to go check on Aang and Toph first,” he said with a strained voice. 

Katara nodded, her eyes fixed on him with a longing that rendered him speechless. He bit his lip and willed himself to move, grabbing the handles of the two remaining mugs in one hand and rushing out of the room. Once he was out in the hall he let out a shaky breath, his free hand braced against the wall for support. He didn’t want to confess his feelings to her while she was ill, but spirits… if she looked at him like that again he might not be able to resist. He took a deep breath and released it, regaining his composure before heading into Aang’s room. 

The young Airbender was snoring softly, his blankets nestled around him like a nest. Zuko crossed the room and set the mugs down, giving Aang’s shoulder a gentle shake. He yawned deeply and cracked one eye open.

“Hi Zuko,” he said sleepily. 

“Hey Aang, how are you feeling?”

“My throat hurts,” he grumbled in reply. 

Zuko reached out and felt his forehead, relieved to find that his fever had broken. After a few more days of rest, Aang should be nearly back to normal. 

“Can you sit up for me?” he asked.

Aang weakly shifted into a sitting position, though he seemed a lot more alert than he had been the previous day. Zuko grabbed one of the mugs off of the nightstand and handed it to him. 

“Drink this and it will help your throat. I’ll bring up some soup for you after I check on Toph, okay?”

“Toph is sick too?” Aang croaked hoarsely. 

“Pretty much everyone is,” Zuko replied. Sokka is doing better already, but everyone else will probably be in bed for a few days.”

Aang frowned, then broke out in a cough. Zuko rubbed his back gently until it subsided, then gestured to the tea. “Drink up, and I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Obediently he raised the mug to his lips and took a long sip of the tea. It looked like he had some trouble swallowing, but at least he was getting it down. Zuko gave him a smile, then grabbed the last mug and headed to Toph’s room. 

When he entered he thought Toph was asleep, but then her voice rang out softly.

“Katara?” 

“No, it’s me, Zuko. I’ve brought you some tea,” he replied, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. 

Toph pushed herself up to sit, leaning heavily against the headboard. She reached out for the tea, and Zuko placed the mug in her hands. He watched as she took a few sips, then she held it out for him to take. He set the mug on her side table, then reached out to check her temperature. Her fever was still quite high, but she seemed more coherent. 

“How are you feeling?” Zuko asked.

Toph closed her eyes and sighed softly. “Not great,” she confessed. “Everything hurts.”

“I’m heating up the soup, so I will bring you some of that in a bit, okay? Or you can have some stew if you are feeling up for it.”

Toph nodded. “Save the vegetable water for Twinkletoes,” she replied, cracking a weak smile.

Zuko smirked, glad to see her humour was unaffected. “Alright, stew it is.” He placed the mug in her hands again. “Drink this while I’m gone, and I’ll be back with food soon.”

“Okay. Thank you Zuko.”

He reached out and ruffled her hair, which put a scowl on her face. “Anytime.” 

As he entered the kitchen he found Sokka already there. He had taken the soup off of the stove to cool, and was stirring another pot which he could only assume was the leftover stew. 

“Hey Zuko. How are the troops?” Sokka asked as Zuko passed him to grab some bowls. 

“Aang’s fever broke, but his throat is still sore and swollen, Toph is achy and still has a fever, but she’s far more alert today, and Katara is trying to pretend that she is fine despite the fact that she also has a fever.”

Sokka chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like her. But if she’s still being annoying that means she isn’t too sick.”

Zuko frowned at him, but it went unnoticed. 

“Suki wanted stew, so I’m heating it up now,” Sokka added obliviously. 

“Toph and Katara would rather have stew as well,” Zuko replied, ladelling out a bowl of soup for Aang. “I’ll bring this up now then come back for the rest.”

Sokka gave him a mock salute in reply. Zuko grabbed the steaming bowl and headed back out of the kitchen. As he made his way up the stairs he suddenly felt dizzy, and he grasped the banister to steady himself. He stood there for a few moments, his eyes closed as he tried to summon strength back into his body. He refused to be sick, and he would not let it best him. Finally he felt okay enough to carry on, and made his way to Aang’s room once more. He was still sitting up as Zuko came in, holding his mug between his hands. But his eyes were closed. 

“Aang? I brought your soup,” Zuko called softly. 

His eyes opened and he smiled, reaching out to set his mug on the table. Zuko crossed the room and handed him the bowl and a spoon, which he took gratefully. He started eating immediately, and Zuko was pleased to see that his appetite seemed to be back. He sat with him while he ate, grateful for a chance to sit for a moment. He felt like he had swallowed knives, and his head was beginning to pound. 

Once Aang was done eating, Zuko took his bowl and his empty mug. “Is there anything else you need?” he asked.

“Can I have some water please?”

Zuko resisted the urge to sigh. He just wanted to go lay down. “Sure. I’ll bring it up right away.”

He stood and headed back downstairs yet again. By the time he came back the stew was ready, and Sokka was separating it into bowls. Zuko placed the dirty dishes in the sink and grabbed a clean glass, filling it with water. 

“Sokka, can you take Katara’s bowl up too? Aang wanted some water and I can’t carry two bowls and a glass,” Zuko asked. He left out the part where he wanted to avoid the Waterbender because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could resist kissing her. 

“Sure thing, I’ll take it up now.”

Sokka left with two bowls, leaving Zuko alone. He slumped against the counter, feeling absolutely dreadful. He raised his arm to his mouth to muffle cough, then grabbed the last bowl and the glass and headed back upstairs once more.

The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion. Zuko found, much to his annoyance, that everyone was far needier now that they were less drastically sick, and he spent most of the day marching up and down the stairs bringing water, tea, bread, stew, and anything else Aang and Toph asked for. Sokka had offered to take over caring for Katara and he gratefully accepted, though more so he could continue to avoid her. She hadn’t really asked for much at all over the day though, and Suki’s headache had her sleeping most of the day, so Sokka definitely got the better end of the deal. 

By the time he went to bed, Zuko was an absolute wreck. Every muscle in his body ached, his head hurt so bad it was making him nauseated, and every time he swallowed, he felt like he had swallowed a cactus. He flopped into bed still fully dressed, letting out a groan as his head hit the pillow. All he needed was a good sleep, and he would be fine.

But by the time he awoke the next day, he found quite the opposite to be true. Somehow he felt even worse, and even the act of getting out of bed made every muscle scream in protest. He staggered to the bathroom and cleaned up, splashing cold water on his face to try and staunch the burning heat in his skin. He willed himself to summon what strength he could, and headed downstairs to see who else was up.

XXXX

Katara woke feeling well-rested. There was still a lingering ache in her head and a prickle in her throat, but overall she had a lot more energy than she had the day before. At the very least, she felt well enough to take care of herself. 

She had been disappointed the morning prior when Sokka had brought up her breakfast; she was expecting Zuko to return, but he didn’t. In fact she didn’t see him again for the rest of the day. If she hadn’t felt so weak and tired, she would have gone to confront him, but she just didn’t have it in her. Today however, she would track him down. She supposed it was only fair that he took a turn avoiding her, but this back and forth between them was driving her nuts. She needed to know how he felt about her once and for all.

She washed up and got dressed, then shuffled out of her room and downstairs. As she wandered into the kitchen she spotted Zuko making tea, but Aang, Suki, and Sokka were sitting at the table nearby so she veered off to join them.

“Katara!” Aang exclaimed as she approached. 

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Zuko turn, and she felt his eyes lingering on her as she took a seat. 

“Good morning Aang. Are you feeling better?” she asked.

“So much better! I’m still achy and my throat still hurts a bit, but I feel almost like myself. How about you?”

“About the same actually. What about you Suki?” 

Suki shrugged. “My head is still killing me, but I have more energy so I figured I’d get up and move about a bit.”

“Well I’m glad we’re all recovering at least. We’ll probably feel a little gross for another day or two, and then it should pass. We’re through the worst.” She grabbed a piece of fruit out of a bowl on the table and took a small bite, feeling her appetite return with a ferocity. “Has anyone checked on Toph?”

“Zuko did this morning,” Sokka said, following his sister’s example and grabbing a piece of fruit for himself.

She finally looked up at him, startled to see his eyes already fixed on her. She swallowed hard. “H-how was she?” 

“Her fever broke, but she still feels weak and sore so she’s staying in bed today,” he replied. 

There was something strained about his tone, and the more she watched him, the more she noticed that he didn’t seem quite like himself. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He turned away from her, focusing on pouring tea. “I’m fine, just tired.”

She wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t want to push him. Not with the others around anyway. She would just have to corner him later, and she’d get the truth out of him then.

Only as the day passed, she found it impossible to get him alone. With Sokka pretty much recovered and Aang feeling a lot better, there always seemed to be someone around. Even Suki, who was still not feeling great, seemed to be shuffling about the house. Zuko in turn seemed to be staying wherever their friends happened to be, and she was beginning to think it was deliberate. But her concern grew with each passing hour; she had been watching him all day, and every time he thought nobody was watching he would clutch the back of a chair or lean against the wall for support. By lunchtime her patience had run thin.

Zuko sat at the table with Aang and Sokka, staring silently out the window as the other two joked around. Suki had gone to lay down and Toph was still resting, so this was as good a chance as she was going to get. She marched over to him and leaned against the table, drawing his attention. It took a second for his eyes to focus on her, but as he registered who was next to him, he forced his features into an unconvincing smile. 

“Zuko, I don’t think you’re well. You’ve been walking around in a daze all day,” she said softly. 

He shook his head, then grimaced at the motion. “Like I said, I’m just tired.”

She frowned at him and reached out to check his temperature, but he swiftly stood and walked away from the table. She rolled her eyes, cursing his stubbornness, and followed him as he moved out of the kitchen and into the foyer. 

“Please don’t make me chase you all over the house, I’m still not feeling the best,” she called.

He stopped, but didn’t turn around. She strode over to him and stood her ground, arms crossed. “Will you please tell me what’s wrong?” 

He turned around finally, and she could see the fatigue in his eyes. He looked pale and sweaty and not well in the slightest. She frowned. 

“I just need to go lie down,” he said weakly. 

He moved to turn away towards the stairs, but wavered in his step. His hand flew up to grasp onto something, but met nothing but air and before Katara could move, he had collapsed. 

“Zuko!” she cried, rushing to his side. 

She knelt next to him and rolled him over, brushing his hair out of his face. His skin was burning hot. He let out a small groan at her touch, and his eyes fluttered open slightly to look at her. Sokka and Aang came running into the room to see what the commotion was about and both stopped dead as they saw Zuko in a crumpled heap on the floor. 

“What happened?” Sokka said, regaining himself and rushing over. 

“He collapsed, and he’s burning up. I had a feeling he might not be feeling well, but I had no idea he was this sick,” Katara replied in a panic. 

“Calm down Katara, and help me get him up,” Sokka ordered. 

She swallowed her panic, grateful for her brother’s ability to take charge, and hooked one of Zuko’s arms over her shoulders. Sokka did the same on the other side and together they lifted him to his feet. He was still conscious, and with some effort Katara and Sokka managed to get him up the stairs while Aang followed fretfully. 

By the time they had ventured down the hall and into Zuko’s bedroom, Katara’s healer instincts had surpassed her worry. They gently lowered him onto the mattress, and Katara removed his shoes. 

“Aang, please go and get a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth, and a glass of water for him to drink,” she said, barely looking at the Airbender.

He nodded obediently and dashed out of the room. Katara began undoing the sash around his waist, and once it was free, she pulled open his tunic and placed a hand on his chest. He was practically radiating heat, and she could have kicked herself for not noticing sooner. 

“Sokka, can you lift him while I get his shirt off?” she asked. 

Sokka complied, lifting Zuko enough for Katara to strip off his tunic, then set him back down. “Do you want his pants off too?” Sokka joked, clearly unable to help himself. 

Katara shot him a glare. She didn’t have time to be embarrassed, and she certainly didn’t appreciate her brother cracking jokes when their friend was extremely ill. Sokka withered under her gaze and shrank back to await further instructions. Katara pulled the blankets out from under Zuko and covered him up to his waist as Aang came rushing back. She took the bowl and cloth, squeezing out the excess water and gently dabbing it across his face and chest to try and draw out some of the heat. 

Aang and Sokka shared a glance and stood silently, watching Katara work. Zuko was still conscious, but seemed to be miles away. He whispered Katara’s name, and she reached out and took his hand in hers. 

“Shhh… I’m right here Zuko,” she said softly. 

Sokka looked bemused, but Aang’s face twisted into a pout. Katara noticed, but didn’t have it in her to care at the moment. 

“I’ll stay with him, but you two should go. There’s not much else to be done,” she said. 

Sokka nodded, putting his arm around Aang and leading him out of the room before he could protest. Katara turned her attention back to Zuko, repeatedly soaking the cloth with cold water and dabbing his face. She was furious with herself for not checking in with him sooner. Everyone else had gotten sick, it made sense that he would too. But he had pushed himself, hidden it from the rest of them so he could take up the burden of caregiver for her. 

After a while she gave up on the cloth, which was now warm to the touch. She set it and the bowl aside, then used her bending to form the water from within around her hands and hovered them above his chest. She wasn’t sure how much good her healing abilities would be, but she figured maybe she could draw some of the heat out of his body. 

It seemed to have little effect, however he did stir, turning his head to look at her. She smiled down at him, thrilled to see his golden eyes fixed on her face. She bent the water back into the bowl; it didn’t do much for the fever, but he seemed to be more aware so she’d take it. Katara reached out and gently cupped his cheek with her hand, stroking his skin with her thumb. He pressed into her palm, his gaze never wavering from her eyes. 

“Zuko… why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” she asked shakily.

“I… didn’t want you to push yourself. I didn’t want you to worry about me,” he replied weakly. 

She hadn’t been expecting him to speak at all, but she was happy to hear his voice. 

“Well that was dumb of you,” she joked, craking a small smile. 

He gave her a weak smile in return, then reached up and pressed his hand to the one touching his cheek, lacing his fingers through hers. She swallowed the lump in her throat at the gesture, then closed her fingers over his. Zuko let out a small, content sigh and closed his eyes. 

“I’m so tired,” he whispered. 

“Then sleep. I’ll be right here watching over you.” 

He smiled again, then said nothing more as he drifted off. Katara unlaced her hand from his and pulled his blanket up around him, then leaned forward and laid a soft, lingering kiss on his forehead. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” 

XXXX

Katara was as good as her word. She spent the next few hours by Zuko’s side, leaving only to feed herself and to get food and water for Zuko. He woke up long enough to drink some water, but she only got a few spoonfuls of soup in him before he turned away, disinterested. He continued to drift in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day, his fever staying steadily high. 

She was growing more concerned for Zuko’s wellbeing with each passing hour. She didn't know what else to do for him, and if his fever didn't go down soon she wouldn't be able to do anything at all without proper medicine. 

Late in the evening there was a gentle knock at the door, and Suki peeked her head in. Katara looked up and gestured for her to come in. 

"How is he?" she asked.

"No change…"

Suki frowned and moved closer, placing a comforting hand on Katara’s shoulder.

"Give it time. The rest of us are on the mend, I'm sure he will get better too."

Katara let out a heavy sigh. "I hope you're right."

"Why don't you get some rest? He's sleeping now anyway, and you're still recovering yourself. It's pretty late; the rest of us are heading to bed too."

"I told him I wouldn't leave him,"Katara replied simply.

Suki smirked in amusement. "Well at least let me get you a chair or something so you don't have to perch on the edge of the mattress all night." 

She walked over to the window where a moth-eaten old armchair sat and dragged it across the floor. She gestured for Katara to take a seat. 

"Thanks Suki," Katara said, sliding into the chair. 

Suki grabbed the spare blanket that was folded at the foot of Zuko’s bed and draped it over her friend, tucking her in. 

"Try and sleep. You need it."

Katara nodded, stifling a yawn. 

Suki gave her a reassuring smile. "Goodnight Katara."

"Goodnight."

Suki left the room, closing the door firmly behind her and leaving Katara alone once more. Katara's eyes felt heavy, and now that she was bundled up, she could feel the fatigue in her body pulling her into sleep. 

She awoke a few hours later to the sound of Zuko’s voice calling her name. The candle that she had lit had burned itself out, leaving the room bathed in soft moonlight. She sat up with a yawn, spotting Zuko’s golden eyes reflecting the light of the moon in the darkness.

"You're awake," she said sleepily. 

"You're still here," he whispered back.

Katara smiled through the darkness. "Of course I am."

"I'm glad. I thought I dreamed it all."

Katara was glad for the darkness as her cheeks turned red. She shifted her blanket and got up, reaching out to feel his forehead. He was still quite hot, but it seemed his temperature had dropped slightly. He sighed softly at her touch and leaned into it. 

"Stay with me," he whispered groggily. 

"I will, don't worry," she replied, stroking his hair. 

He reached up and tenderly touched her face, his hot fingers gently tracing her jaw. "Stay… with me," he whispered again, fading quickly. 

She suddenly understood what he meant, and her blush deepened. He was barely conscious, so she easily could have slipped out of his grasp and returned to the chair. He probably wouldn't even remember anything in the morning. But she couldn’t help herself. She wanted so badly to be in his arms. 

Gently she pulled back the blanket, adjusting herself so she could slide into the bed next to him. He shuffled slightly to allow her room, and once she was settled and had pulled the blanket back over them both, he wrapped her in his arms with surprising strength for someone so ill. She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as he buried his face into her hair, and together they drifted off into peaceful slumber.

XXXX 

By the time Zuko awoke the next day it was late in the morning. He woke slowly; he had slept so well that sleep was fighting to keep him. It didn’t help that he was so comfortably warm. But sleep couldn’t hold him forever, and eventually the waking world came into focus around him. The first thing he noticed was the scent of sea salt and water flowers. He breathed in the familiar scent, wanting to hold it forever. Then he noticed the uncomfortable stiffness in his left arm, and as he tried to move it he found it was pinned by the source of his warmth. 

His eyes opened to a mass of curly brown hair. Katara’s head was tucked just under his chin, one of her arms curled up between her and his chest while the other draped over his waist. His right arm was wrapped around her in turn, his fingers tangled in her hair. He couldn’t quite remember how she had gotten there; only a vague memory of wanting her closer.

She was still asleep, and she looked so comfortable. He didn’t want to wake her, but the arm trapped under her was going numb. He reached up with his free hand, brushing the hair away from her face. She stirred then yawned, bringing a smile to his face. 

For a moment she seemed oblivious to her location, and her grip on him tightened. Then reality set in and her eyes flew open. He had expected her to pull away, so when she propped herself up on her elbow and reached out to touch his face he was taken by surprise. 

“Your fever’s gone,” she said, relief etched across her face. “How are you feeling?” 

“Pretty terrible still,” he admitted, stretching the numbness out of his freed limb.

Katara frowned, cupping his cheek in her hand. “You’ll probably feel crummy for another day or two, but the worst of it is over now.”

Zuko shifted into a sitting position, capturing her hand with his and giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for staying, Katara.”

Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn’t turn away. In fact she seemed transfixed by him. “I would never leave you,” she whispered. 

He felt his heart beating hard within his chest, and feeling a surge of bravery, he shifted closer to her. He began to lean in, his eyes falling to her lips, but before he could close the distance there was a knock at his door. 

They both jumped, and Katara threw the blanket off of her and practically launched herself out of his bed and into the armchair just as the door creaked open. Suki entered and froze, taking in the scene before her; Zuko sitting awkwardly on his bed with the blankets strewn off the edge of the bed, and Katara splayed uncomfortably in the armchair. She raised an eyebrow at the pair, fighting a smirk. 

“I see you’re feeling better Zuko. I take it you had a good night?” she asked, biting her lip to prevent a grin from spreading across her features. 

“I uh… I got a good sleep,” Zuko said, his face growing hot. 

Suki cleared her throat to compose herself. “Well we are all still feeling pretty awful today, so we’ve decided to have a ‘lazy couch day’, as Sokka put it. We’re just going to hang out in the sitting room, if you two are interested. Sokka even offered to make breakfast for everyone, seeing as he is the only one who feels pretty much back to normal.”

Katara cast him a sidelong glance, and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice. I’ll… just wash up and change, and I’ll meet you all downstairs.” 

She got up and practically bolted from the room, leaving Suki standing in the doorway smirking at Zuko. 

“What?” he asked, knowing exactly what she was smirking at. 

“Oh nothing. I’ll see you downstairs,” Suki replied, turning out of the room and heading down the hall.

Zuko sighed and got out of bed. He still didn’t know what was going on between him and Katara, he didn’t need Suki making speculations. He went to wash up and brush his teeth, then changed into clean clothes. His whole body ached and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, but his throat was less sore and he wasn’t feeling dizzy anymore, so all in all he felt much better than the previous two days. For good measure he scooped one of the blankets off of his bed and wrapped it around himself, then headed downstairs. 

Instead of turning towards the sitting room, he took a detour into the office. He walked over to the bookshelves and perused the spines for a moment, then pulled out a book of Fire Nation legends and mythology that he thought Katara might enjoy, then he pulled out a book of poetry for himself before shuffling his way to where the others were. 

As he entered the sitting room he saw Toph in one of the armchairs. She had made a nest of blankets and pillows for herself and was chatting idly to Aang who sat on the floor nearby, fiddling with some playing cards he had found. Suki was curled up in the corner of one of the couches, a blanket draped over her lap and holding a cup of tea. Aang looked up as he entered, then swiftly looked away with a pout. Zuko frowned, unsure why he would be upset. 

“Hey Sparky, how are you feeling?” Toph called.

Zuko crossed the room and settled into a loveseat, adjusting the blanket over his lap. “I’ve been better,” he replied. “You?” 

“About the same. My headache is finally gone, but my whole body hurts.”

“That seems to be the common symptom among us,” Suki said. “I feel like I’ve been crushed by Appa.”

“Who was crushed by Appa?” Katara asked, entering the room.

Aang looked up and grinned. “Katara! How are you feeling? Are you okay?” 

“Much better now, though my head is still aching, as is the rest of me. How are you feeling?”

“I’m much better. My throat still hurts a bit, but otherwise I’m feeling almost myself,” Aang replied. 

Sokka came in behind his sister, carrying a large tray with several plates and mugs. “Breakfast is served! It’s just some toasted bread, grilled vegetables, and eggs, so it’s nothing fancy.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Katara said, beaming at him. 

“Take a seat, I’ll bring it to you,” he replied, setting the tray down on the table in the centre of the room. 

Zuko noticed that Aang cast Katara an expectant look, but she didn’t notice. She crossed the room and sat down next to Zuko with a shy smile, causing the grin on Aang’s face to wither. He understood now; Aang was jealous of the time he had been spending with her. He felt annoyance flare in his chest, despite the fact that he was well aware of the young Airbender’s feelings for Katara. Aang couldn’t help it any more than he could. 

He pulled the blanket over her lap so it covered them both, then handed her the book he had picked out. She looked up at him curiously. “What’s this?” 

“If we’re having a lazy day, I thought you might want something to do. I picked one I thought you might like.” 

She smiled at him then looked down at the cover, running her fingers over the worn leather. She curled her legs up under the blanket, resting her knees on his thigh, causing his breath to catch. “Thank you, that was very thoughtful,” she said. 

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, her salty, floral scent overwhelming him in her closeness. It took every bit of his willpower not to wrap his arm around her and pull her close. 

“What have you got?” she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

He showed her the cover. “Just a poetry book.”

“You’re so sweet,” she replied, settling back against the cushion and cracking open the book on her lap.

He blushed. “Me? Why?” 

“You just are.” 

He frowned at her, but Sokka interrupted before he could reply, handing him a plate and a mug of steaming tea. 

“Thanks Sokka, this looks great,” Zuko said. 

Sokka turned back to the table briefly and returned with another plate and mug for Katara.

“It’s better than vegetable soup, anyway,” he joked. 

Katara scowled at him, but took her breakfast appreciatively. After they had all eaten, Sokka and Aang sat on the floor playing a card game. They had all been invited to join in, but Katara was enjoying the book Zuko had given her, Zuko was enjoying being with Katara, and Toph was dozing in her little nest of blankets. Suki said she may join later, but she preferred to watch. They stayed there for most of the day, and it wasn’t until the sun had dipped low on the horizon that any of them felt the need to get up and stretch. But it was a much needed lazy day, and by the time they all trickled up to bed, they were all feeling a lot better.

Zuko had been tempted to invite Katara back to his room, but as they said goodnight his courage had faltered. It didn’t help that the others were all lingering in the hallway saying goodnight as well, and Aang was keeping a particularly watchful eye on Katara. It wasn’t his crush that bothered him so much, it was how possessive Aang seemed to be about it. As far as Zuko was aware Katara had never made any indication that she shared Aang’s feelings, and even if she had, it was no excuse to sulk like a baby every time she so much as looked at another guy. 

Though he had to suppose that by now it was growing more and more obvious to their friends that _something_ was going on between him and Katara. At the very least it was obvious that they had grown close. 

He crawled into his empty bed, pulling the blankets up around him. His pillow still smelled like her. Despite it all, he couldn’t help but smile. In the morning he would get her alone and sort all of this out once and for all. And if her lingering scent on his pillow was any indication of her feelings, he expected it to go quite well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: this chapter contains scenes and dialogue lifted from Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I have added my own additions to the dialogue, I do not claim any right to works produced by the Avatar team.

The next couple of days passed in a flurry. Now that they were all feeling much better they had returned to Aang’s training with renewed vigor, and it wasn’t just Aang. All six of them had doubled their personal training efforts, trying to work the stiffness out of their recovering muscles and get back into top shape. With the renewed energy of the group and everyone trying to catch up after nearly a week of nothing, Zuko found that getting Katara alone was an impossible task. What was even more frustrating was how Aang seemed to shadow her whenever he wasn’t training, so the only chance he got to steal her away came in the early afternoon while he was training with Toph. However these hours seemed to be the busiest for them both, particularly as Sokka kept asking him to spar so they could both keep their sword skills well honed. 

Zuko certainly didn’t mind; normally he took any opportunity to use his swords. For most of his life, even still admittedly, it had been his preferred method of combat. The blades felt like an extension of himself, and he always felt so centred when he was going though his forms or using them in combat. He was however growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to get Katara alone for more than five minutes at a time. Something had shifted between them ever since she spent the night in his room, and he was certain that she felt it as strongly as he did. They couldn’t pass one another without exchanging sly smiles, letting their knees graze under the dinner table, or let their hands linger on each other’s waists as they moved around each other in the kitchen. But even so, he didn’t want to assume anything until he heard it from her lips. 

One morning a few days after they had all recovered, Katara and Toph sat out in the courtyard watching Zuko and Aang train. Though considering Zuko could feel Katara’s eyes on his every move, he was quite certain she barely noticed the young Airbender. 

They finished the sequence they had been working on and bowed to one another. Zuko stretched and moved to the fountain to grab a towel.

“Doesn’t it seem kind of weird that we’re hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?” Katara mused out of the blue. 

“I told you, my father hasn’t come here since our family was actually happy,” Zuko replied, unable to suppress his bitter tone. “And that was a long time ago. It’s the last place anyone would think to look for us.” 

He was about to ask her why the thought suddenly crossed her mind when Sokka and Suki came running into the courtyard waving a rolled up piece of parchment. 

“You guys are not going to believe this!” he said excitedly. “There’s a play about us!” 

“We were just in town and we found this poster!” Suki added as Sokka dramatically unfurled the parchment, revealing a cartoonish depiction of Aang, Katara, and Sokka with Zuko’s face looming in the background. 

“Katara strode over to them. “What? How is that possible?” 

“Listen to this,” Sokka said, turning the poster around to read it aloud. “The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from the acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole, to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.”

“Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players,” Suki finished.

Zuko let out a disgusted groan at the name. “Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered _Love Amongst the Dragons_ every year.”

Katara turned to her brother. “Sokka, do you really think it’s a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?”

“ _Come on_ , a day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I’ve been missing!” he exclaimed, holding the poster up once more. 

Katara turned away unconvinced. “What do you think, Zuko?” 

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind getting out of the house, but I don’t know if I’d waste my money on this…”

“Oh come on, it will be fun!” Sokka said. “Aang? You’re in, right?”

“I’d like to go. I think it will be very… educational to see what the Fire Nation thinks of us,” he said, trying his best to make Sokka’s antics sound like a good idea. 

“Well I’m in. I won’t miss an opportunity to see myself depicted on stage,” Toph said, grinning.

“It’s settled then!” Sokka exclaimed. 

“Sokka, what if we are recognized? It’s a play about us. We’ll stick out!” Katara argued. 

“Psh, nobody has recognized us yet. I’ll tell you what, I’ll run back into town now and get tickets for one of those fancy private boxes, that way we won’t be around anyone else.”

“I don’t know…” she looked over at Zuko, who shrugged. “Alright, fine,” she relented.

“YES!! You’re the best!” 

XXXX

They arrived at the theatre shortly before it was scheduled to start, filing into the private box above the audience. Aang had been trailing close behind Katara pretty much since they left the house, and it was really starting to annoy her. In fact, he had been trailing her for days now. She had been desperate to get Zuko alone, but every time she found him away from the others, she would barely have a minute to say hi before Aang popped his head around the corner and asked for something. She had a strong suspicion that he was jealous of how close she and Zuko had gotten, but it was getting to be too much. 

She took a seat next to Toph, spotting Aang following her into the row. But before he could sit, Zuko swiftly took the seat next to her, letting his fingers graze hers for a moment as he sat. She reached up to brush her hair behind her ear, trying to hide a smile. 

“Hey, uh… I wanted to sit there,” Aang said, pointing to Zuko’s seat.

Katara looked over at him, annoyed, but Zuko replied before she could. “Just sit next to me. What’s the big deal?” 

“I was just… I wanted to…” he sat down, defeated. “Okay.” 

Katara was grateful. She felt bad that Aang was upset, but she really didn’t want to spend the next few hours pretending not to see him trying to hold her hand. 

“Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can’t see anything from up here,” Toph said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell your feet what’s happening,” Katara replied, leaning forward as the lights went down.

The play started with two actors who were clearly portraying herself and Sokka. Her brother leaned forward excitedly, pointing at the stage. Katara was thrilled, but the moment passed almost immediately once the dialogue started. 

The woman playing Katara was weepy and over-emotional, and the man playing Sokka only talked about food. What really set her over the edge was a monologue about hope, ending with the Katara actress breaking down into sobs. She could feel her eye twitch in annoyance.

“Well that’s just silly, I don’t sound like that!” she said, as her friends giggled around her. 

“Oh man, this writer’s a genius!” Toph said, leaning back against the seat with a grin. 

Katara crossed her arms in a huff as the scene shifted to a depiction of her and Sokka finding Aang in the iceberg. Much to Aang’s dismay, the actor playing him was actually a woman, a fact that seemed to irritate him greatly. 

She leaned close to Zuko and whispered, “This is so stupid, they haven’t got any of us right!”

Zuko was smirking, and she frowned at him. “I told you they were bad. Though they aren’t too far off,” he teased. 

She sat back again with another huff as the scene changed. Two actors entered the stage on a prop ship, depicting Zuko and Iroh. 

“Prince Zuko, you must try this cake!” the Iroh actor said.

“I don’t have time to stuff my face! I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!” The Zuko actor replied. 

Katara’s gaze shifted back to Zuko with a satisfied smile, watching his own smirk wilt as the scene continued. 

“They make me look totally stiff and humourless!” he said in agitation. 

“Actually, I think that actor’s pretty spot on,” Katara replied smugly. 

“How could you say that??” he said in protest, turning to her.

The Iroh actor’s voice cut him off. “Let’s forget about the Avatar and get massages!”

“How could you say that??” the actor Zuko yelled, turning menacingly towards his co-star.

Katara’s smirk grew as Zuko sunk into his seat, grimacing. 

As the first act passed, Katara grew more agitated with the depiction of herself. She would admit that she was often overly optimistic, but this play had her portrayed as this pathetic crybaby and she couldn’t stand it. But when the play got to a scene involving Jet, she felt her stomach drop with guilt. 

“Don’t cry baby! Jet will wipe out that nasty town for you!” The Jet actor said, embracing the Katara actor. 

The stagehands ran across the stage with a blue sheet of fabric, showing how the town had been flooded at Jet’s command. 

“Oh Jet, you’re so bad,” the Katara actor swooned. 

Katara shrank in embarrassment. They had conveniently left out the part where Sokka had managed to evacuate the town before the flood, but she felt ashamed nonetheless. It stirred up memories that she would have rather put behind her. She still couldn’t believe how easily she had fallen for Jet’s suaveness. 

Suddenly she felt Zuko’s hand close around hers and she looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile, and she returned it gratefully. Only he knew all the details about just how deeply she regretted her involvement with Jet, and she appreciated his comfort. 

After the curtain dropped on the first act, the group decided to go outside for some fresh air. With the exception of Toph, everyone was in a foul mood. 

“So far this intermission is the best part of the play,” Zuko said. 

Sokka walked down the steps to join Suki, clutching a bag of food. “Apparently the playwright thinks I’m an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!” 

“Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics,” Suki said in jest. 

“I know!” he exclaimed in agreement.

“At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you. That woman playing the Avatar doesn’t resemble me at all!” Aang complained. 

“I don’t know, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys,” Toph teased.

Aang growled in frustration and stood up. Katara cut him off before he could continue ranting.

“Relax Aang. They’re not accurate portrayals. It’s not like I’m a preachy crybaby who can’t resist giving over emotional speeches about hope all the time.”

Her friends fell silent and stared at her, and Katara bristled. “What?” 

“Yeah,” Aang said sarcastically. “That’s not you at all.”

“Listen friends; it’s obvious that the playwright did his research,” Toph said smugly. “I know it must hurt, but what you’re seeing up there on that stage is the truth. 

Katara scoffed. “Just wait; you’ll be next.”

Sure enough as the second act began, it moved directly into a scene of Sokka, Katara, and Aang meeting Toph for the first time. As expected, she was not depicted accurately, though what they did see made them all laugh. Toph’s actor was a huge, bulking man. 

“Wait a minute,” Toph said, leaning over the railing and cleaning out her ear with her pinky finger. “I sound like… a guy. A really buff guy.”

“Well Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn’t it?” Katara said smugly. 

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have cast it any other way!” Toph replied joyously. She giggled. “At least it’s not a flying bald lady.” 

Aang scowled at her, but remained silent. Katara had to admit though, the scenes with the Toph actor were quite funny, and it was a welcome reprieve from the constant annoyance in the first act. The play went on depicting their journey through the Earth Kingdom and into Ba Sing Se, eventually segueing into a scene with Katara and Zuko in the crystal catacombs. Katara tensed. That memory was quite bittersweet, and she knew it was something that Zuko deeply regretted. 

“I have to admit, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive,” the Katara actress said. 

Katara’s eyes grew wide. They were not turning it into a love scene… were they?

“You don’t have to make fun of me,” the Zuko actor growled. 

“But I mean it; I’ve had eyes for you since the day you first captured me,” the Katara actress replied. 

Katara and Zuko glanced at each other and simultaneously slid apart, realizing in that moment how close they had been sitting. 

“Wait! I thought you were the Avatar’s girl!” fake Zuko said. 

Katara’s actress laughed heartily. “The Avatar? Why, he’s like a little brother to me! I certainly don’t think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about this?” 

The actress fell into her co-star’s arms dramatically and they embraced. Katara was thoroughly embarrassed, and she shrank in her seat, covering her face with her hand to hide her blush. Even with the distance between them Katara could feel Zuko stiffen beside her, and it was obvious he was uncomfortable too. Toph on the other hand, seemed quite amused as she cackled to herself. 

The scene mercifully changed, depicting the moment Zuko chose to betray his uncle. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him lean forward against the railing, a pained expression on his face. The Zuko actor walked over to the Iroh actor and pushed him over, saying, “I hate you uncle! You smell, and I hate you for all time!” 

Katara’s hand flew to her mouth as she watched the scene. That _can’t_ have been accurate. She looked over at Zuko, who was staring mournfully at the stage.

“You didn’t really say that, did you?” she asked.

“I may as well have,” he replied, turning away. 

Soon after the house lights went up, signalling another intermission. Katara was grateful for it; she needed a break from the eye roll-inducing performance she had been subjected to and the painful memories that had been thrown back at them. She stood up and stretched as her friends filtered out, peering out at the audience as she did so. The people below were milling about, talking excitedly amongst each other. She supposed the play would be far more enjoyable if they were viewing it from a stranger’s perspective as well. 

With a scowl she exited into the lobby to find her friends. She found them just outside, where Suki and Sokka were arguing. Toph and Zuko were leaning against the wall ignoring the pair of them, but Aang was missing.

“Does anyone know where Aang is?” she asked.

“He left to get me Fire Gummies, like, ten minutes ago, and I’m still waiting!” Sokka replied indignantly. 

Katara frowned. She knew the play was upsetting him, and she figured she should check in and make sure he was okay. “I’m gonna check outside.” 

She made her way down the hall and pushed open the balcony door, relishing in the cool night air. She spotted him right away, leaning against the railing and looking out at the ocean. She walked over to him, stopping a few feet away and crossing her arms over herself.

“Are you alright?” she asked. 

“No, I’m not. I hate this play!” he replied angrily, taking off his hat and throwing it to the ground. 

Katara moved forward and stood next to him. “I know it’s upsetting, but it sounds like you’re overreacting.” 

“Overreacting?! If I hadn’t blocked my chakra, I’d probably be in the Avatar state right now!” 

He turned away from her and leaned against the rail in a huff. Katara let out a small sigh, leaning next to him. The minutes passed silently; Aang was obviously enraged, so she wanted to give him a moment to cool down before she probed further. Suddenly he turned to her. 

“Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?” 

“In where?” she asked, confused. “What are you talking about?

“On stage, when you said I was just like a... brother to you, and you didn’t have feelings for me.”

Katara’s blood ran cold. She knew exactly why he was upset now. “I didn’t say that, an actor said that,” she replied, deflecting his question.

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Aang asked sadly. “We kissed at the invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.”

Katara felt guilt ripple through her, and she turned away awkwardly. Now was her chance to be honest with him, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to break his heart. “Aang, I don’t know…” 

“Why don’t you know?” he persisted. 

“Because we’re in the middle of a war,” she started, turning back to him. “And… we have other things to worry about. This isn’t the right time.” It wasn’t a total lie, but she hoped it would be enough of the truth to stave off his assumptions about the two of them for the time being at least.

“Well, when is the right time?” he insisted.

“Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused,” she admitted, closing her eyes as she let out a silent breath of air. 

He stepped forward and kissed her suddenly. Katara’s eyes flew open and she immediately stepped away, her hand flying to her mouth. Anger bubbled up, and any guilt she felt was overtaken. 

“I just said I was confused!” she yelled at him. 

He stared at her in shock and she looked away, regaining control of her temper. “I’m going inside.”

Without waiting for a reply, she stormed off and returned inside to find her friends. She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to just kiss her without asking… again. He seemed to have this idea in his head that if he kissed her she would swoon and be his forever, but he never stopped to think if she actually _wanted_ him to kiss her. 

When she returned Suki and Sokka were gone, but Toph and Zuko were chatting idly. Zuko seemed considerably more cheerful. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrow at her when he saw the scowl on her face. 

“Did you find Aang?” he asked. 

“Yup,” she replied curtly. 

He furrowed his brow and got to his feet. “Everything okay?” 

She let out a heavy sigh, her eyes flicking to Toph, then back to Zuko. He seemed to understand, and didn’t push. 

“I’m going back in,” Katara said. 

She fumed all the way back to the box, dropping heavily in her seat and crossing her arms. Toph and Zuko joined her shortly after, taking their seats on either side of her. 

By the time the curtain rose on the final act her anger had subsided, but she had certainly had enough of the play, especially when they got to the invasion, and the Katara and Aang actors drove in the fact that they were just friends. She felt bad for Aang, truly. She knew she should just be honest with him, but she wasn’t even sure where to begin, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. 

Once the play finally ended, they filed out of the theatre, every single one of them downcast and upset. After a short burst of complaints about how terrible the show was, the six of them walked the rest of the way home in silence. None of them were in the mood to do much else, so one by one they all went up to their rooms and headed to bed. 

Try as she might, Katara was unable to sleep. Once again her thoughts kept her mind awake, and she tossed and turned well into the late hours of the night. Finally she got up, throwing a soft, silk bathrobe over her loose tunic and shorts, and headed out of her room. She tip-toed through the hallway and down the stairs, creeping her way out of the back door into the courtyard. She made her way down to her usual spot on the dock, sitting on the end with her toes dipped into the water. 

It wasn’t long before she sensed his presence, and this time she had been expecting him. Zuko moved silently down the dock, taking a seat next to her without saying a word. He didn’t need to ask her why she couldn’t sleep; he already knew. 

“What happened?” he asked, watching the gently rolling waves lap against the dock. 

“Aang kissed me.” 

Zuko sharply turned his head to her. “What??”

She had expected him to be jealous, but he sounded more annoyed. “He was upset by that stupid play, particularly the part about us in the catacombs. When I went to find him, he confronted me about it and asked if it was true.”

“What did you say?” 

“Well I told him it wasn’t, and that it was just a play. But then he pressed me about my feelings for him. I told him I was confused, which is true, and then he… kissed me. That’s why I was so mad when I came back in; he just... _kissed_ me with no invitation.” 

Zuko frowned. “I don’t blame you for being mad.”

She looked at him finally, her anger subsiding. She reached out and took his hand, grateful for his support. 

“Why are you confused?” he asked suddenly. 

Katara bit her lip and turned her eyes away. “I just… I don’t want to hurt him.”

“But do you feel the same way that he feels for you?” 

“I… don’t think so.” 

“You don’t think so?” Zuko pressed.

She sighed. “No. No I don’t,” she confessed. “I guess I felt like if I just… gave him a chance, then maybe those feelings would grow. I don’t think I would be _unhappy_ with him, it just wouldn’t be… love. The kind of love I want.”

“You can’t force yourself to be with someone simply because you don’t want to hurt them, Katara, and you deserve to have the kind of love you want. The kind of love that makes you feel dizzy and weak at the knees. The kind of love that you feel burning in your very soul, because the person you love is the person who completes you.” 

Katara ran her fingers over the rough skin of his hands. His words made her heart pound, and she craved his touch. 

“So if you don’t feel the same way about him and he isn’t who you truly want, what is so confusing?” Zuko asked, lacing his fingers with hers. 

She turned her gaze to his, her breath catching as she was consumed by the molten gold eyes that were fixated on her. 

“You…” she whispered. 

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly in a smirk. “Me?” 

“The… the way you make me feel. I thought I could give Aang a chance, but then you came along and changed everything,” she confessed, her throat tight. 

He shifted toward her, closing the distance between them. Gently he placed one hand on her waist, and the other came up under her chin, lifting her face slightly. “Can I kiss you Katara?” he asked, his voice low and longing. 

Her skin burned under his touch and she let out a shaky breath. “Yes...” she whispered. 

He closed the distance, capturing her lips with his hungrily. She felt like she had been waiting her whole life to feel his lips on hers, and oh, was it worth the wait. He wrapped one hand in her hair, pulling her close like he was afraid to let her go. She moaned softly against his mouth, which seemed to drive him wild, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She wanted him closer. She wanted to feel him on every inch of her skin. 

Slowly he broke away and began leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. He gently pushed her robe off of her shoulders to give himself more access to her skin, and then he lowered her onto her back as he explored every inch of her exposed flesh with his mouth. Her back arched under his touch, and she suddenly had the urge to rip off every bit of fabric that shielded the rest of her skin from him. 

He grazed the inside of her thigh with his fingertips, enticing another soft moan. He smirked at the reaction, pulling her legs to straddle his hips as he leaned over her. She swallowed hard as a jolt of hot desire washed over her, and she reached up to let her fingers trace the muscular curves of his chest. He leaned down and kissed her once more, letting his hands graze under her tunic. She arched her back once more, grinding her hips against his. He had not been expecting it, and he groaned with longing against her mouth. 

Suddenly she thought of Jet. She wasn't sure if it was because the play had left him fresh in her memory, or if it was because he was the only other person she had ever had a sexual encounter with, but she couldn’t stop the trepidation that crept into the corners of her mind. She had gone too far, too fast with Jet, and she regretted it bitterly. She knew Zuko far better obviously, and she knew he would never hurt her on purpose. But they were still at war, and he was still a prince. 

She wanted him so badly that her body ached with longing, but she couldn’t risk another broken heart after giving it over so completely. She knew there would be no recovery if she gave herself to Zuko only to have her heart shattered. 

"Zuko… wait," she breathed, placing a halting hand on his chest. 

He stopped immediately. He sat up, pulling her up as well. "What’s wrong?" he asked tenderly.

"I don't think it's a good idea to move this fast," she confessed, wringing her fingers around a lock of hair. "I really _really_ want to, but I… I don't want to ruin things between us."

Zuko smiled softly and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I'm only ready when you are."

She smiled and leaned onto his touch. "I am sorry. It's not that I don't want to…"

Zuko shook his head and pressed a finger to her lips. "You have nothing to be sorry for Katara. I can wait."

She smiled gratefully, reaching up to gently run her fingers through his hair. 

“Can I still kiss you at least?” he asked with a grin.

She giggled. “Of course. Just… not in front of Sokka.”

“Trust me, I have no intention of letting Sokka have any clue that I’ve had my hands up his sister’s shirt,” he said with a laugh. 

“I suppose we should keep it from Aang too, now that I think about it,” Katara added.

Zuko nodded. “What about Suki and Toph?” 

“Honestly, they’ll both probably figure it out the second we come downstairs tomorrow. Toph with her annoyingly inconvenient heart-sense thing, and Suki with her apparent mind reading abilities… they both knew how we felt about each other before we did.”

“So… is this real then?” Zuko asked timidly. “Us… _together_?”

“Always and forever, if that’s what you want,” she replied, blushing. 

His face broke into a boyish grin. “Always and forever then,” he whispered, leaning forward to capture her lips in a tender kiss. 

Katara genuinely couldn’t remember the last time she had been so happy. She felt as if she could take on the world. After a few moments Zuko pulled away. He got to his feet and reached his hand out to help Katara up.

“We should get back, it’s getting late.”

Katara nodded and took his hand, and together they started back to the house. “Let’s keep this quiet for now, just until we defeat the Fire Lord. I don’t want Aang to find out and lose focus,” she said.

“You should probably turn him down for good before we tell him about us anyway, and I agree that should happen _after_.” 

They crept back into the house and up the stairs. They paused at Katara’s room and she was tempted to invite him in, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to resist him if he spent the night in her bed. Thankfully he made the decision for her.

“Good night Katara. Sleep well,” he whispered, leaning in to give her a lingering kiss.

“Good night,” she whispered back, then slipped into her bedroom before her willpower gave out. 

She fell into bed with a happy sigh, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of glittering stars and golden eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: this chapter contains scenes and dialogue lifted from Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I have added my own additions to the dialogue, I do not claim any right to works produced by the Avatar team.

As predicted, Toph and Suki both knew something was up as soon as Katara and Zuko were in the same room the next morning. Zuko had been up early as usual to train with Aang, whose heart was not at all in his lesson. Zuko knew exactly why, and decided to let him off the hook early. Aang had perked up when Zuko released him, and ran back into the house before he could change his mind. Zuko sighed, then closed his eyes and centred himself. Just because Aang had been let go early was no reason for him not to finish his morning routine. 

Once finished he grabbed a towel that he had draped over the balcony railing and wiped his face, then slung it across his bare shoulders before heading inside. Toph was sitting by the back door picking at her toenails and Suki and Katara were in the kitchen finishing up breakfast, but Sokka and Aang were predictably nowhere to be seen. Katara looked up as he entered, blushing at the sight of him. 

“Good morning Zuko,” she said, her voice tense. 

“Good morning,” he replied, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her fighting to hide her smile. 

Suki had noticed the blush creep across Katara’s cheeks and raised an eyebrow at her, but Toph, who had clearly sensed their heartbeats, was far less subtle. 

“Sparky isn’t wearing a shirt, is he?” she asked with a sly grin. 

Zuko felt his face burn as Suki giggled behind him. “How’d you guess?” she replied.

“Because Katara’s heart is beating so fast, I think she might faint. Maybe grab her a chair or something,” Toph replied mischievously.

“Toph!” Katara exclaimed, her face turning as red as Zuko’s felt. 

“Come to think of it,” Toph continued, “I think Zuko may need to sit down too.” 

Katara and Zuko exchanged sheepish looks, but he couldn’t fight the smile that came as he caught her eye. She smiled back, then ducked her head and busied herself with grabbing dishes. 

“I’m… gonna go wash up,” Zuko said, fleeing the room before anyone could pester them further.

By the time he had returned Sokka and Aang had rejoined them, and the subject seemed to be dropped, though Zuko did catch Suki shooting him sly looks throughout breakfast.

After they had eaten Toph had insisted on training, not being as sensitive to Aang’s foul mood as Zuko was. Suki and Sokka decided to walk into town to pick up some supplies, so Zuko and Katara had the rare chance to be alone for a couple of hours. They walked down to the beach and sat in the sand side by side, letting the surf wash over their bare feet. They sat in silence for a while, watching the gentle waves roll in as they enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually Katara reached over and took his hand in hers, and he looked over to her with a grin. 

“I should be mad at you for leaving me alone with Suki and Toph, by the way,” she said, smirking. 

“Oh? What did they say?”

“It was mostly just Suki, really. Toph just cackled for a while after you left then went back to being disgusting. But Suki kept pestering me to tell her what was going on with us. Luckily Sokka came in shortly after and she dropped it, but I have no doubt that she’s going to corner me the first chance she gets,” Katara replied. 

Zuko chuckled. “Well, you did say that she’d probably guess it right away. She will probably bug us about it privately, but I know she’ll keep it from Sokka and Aang at least.”

Katara scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, staring out at the glittering ocean. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, burying his face into her hair. She had a way of making him feel more at peace than anyone or anything else in his life, and he had a hard time convincing himself he wasn’t living in a dream. He honestly hadn’t felt true happiness since long before his mother disappeared. The past ten years or so of his life had been wrought with so much loss and heartache, he had forgotten what genuine happiness felt like. Now that he had it, he was terrified that it would slip through his fingers. 

He suddenly thought of his uncle. If there was anyone else in the world who had truly seen Zuko for the person he really was and the sort of life that was within his grasp, it was him. Iroh knew that Zuko only had to look within himself for the answers and approval he so desperately sought, and that once he had done so he would find happiness again. Iroh was right; now that Zuko had found himself and his true path, he had opened the door to friendships, happiness, and love that he had never expected to have again in his life. He desperately longed to tell his uncle that he was right. He desperately hoped he would get the chance. 

Zuko let out a small sigh, shaking the thoughts from his mind. 

“Where do you want to go first? After the war I mean,” he asked.

“Hmm… well I definitely want to visit the South Pole first. I haven’t seen my Gran Gran in so long, and I’d like to see everyone else in my village too. After that… I don’t know,” Katara replied thoughtfully.

“I’d like to see your village… if they’d let me, that is. I didn’t make a good impression the last time I was there… but I suppose that can be the first apology I make.”

“If you’re with me, I’m sure they will at least listen to what you have to say,” Katara replied, looking up at him with a smile. 

“How do you think your father would feel about us being together?” Zuko asked curiously. 

“Well, considering you risked your life to help break him out of prison and helped me confront my mother’s killer, I think he’d at least give you a chance. He seemed to like you well enough while we were all briefly together.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Zuko said, biting his lip thoughtfully. “Well then, let’s go South first.”

“Where do you want to go after?” Katara asked. 

“Well, I’d like to see the Northern Water Tribe again. I don’t know if they’d even let me through the gates, but I would like to at least pay my respects to Chief Arnook and apologise for my role in his daughter’s death.” 

Katara sat up and gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean? You had nothing to do with that.”

“Not directly, no. But if I hadn’t have interfered with Aang, you might have all been there to stop Zhao from killing the Moon Spirit. Honestly if I had known that was his intention, I would have stayed to fight him myself. But my actions at the Spirit Oasis were as much a part of the chain of events that led to her sacrifice as Admiral Zhao’s, even if I was unaware of it.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that. Nobody could have predicted the outcome of any of it.”

Zuko smiled grimly. “But I do. I blame myself for a great many things, including things I was only indirectly a part of.”

“Zuko, you need to start forgiving yourself for your mistakes. How do you expect anyone else to forgive you if you can’t even grant yourself that much?” 

“You forgave me, didn’t you?” Zuko replied slyly. 

Katara rolled her eyes and sighed. “One day I’ll convince you to stop thinking of yourself as the worst person in the world.” 

Zuko laughed and kissed her. He knew that he would live with his guilt for the rest of his life, but with Katara around, that burden felt a lot easier to bear. He pulled away, running his fingers through her loose hair. “You make me happier than I ever thought I could be... than I thought I could ever deserve.”

Katara blushed and grinned sheepishly at him. She reached up and gingerly placed her hand on his cheek, letting her fingers graze the smoothed skin of his scar. He couldn’t quite feel her touch on his damaged skin, but the intimacy of the gesture more than made up for it. He thought back to the moment she had touched his scar in the catacombs; he really should have known then just how hard he would fall for the vivacious Waterbender before him. She was the only person he had ever let touch his scar. She was the only person he felt comfortable enough around to be vulnerable. 

Overcome by the magnetism between them, he leaned in to capture her lips once more. She returned the kiss eagerly, letting her fingers weave into his dark locks. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, feeling her melt into his embrace. Together they fell into the sand, limbs entwined as they kissed passionately. With her, he felt whole, and it was a feeling that moved him in ways he had never experienced. He knew in that moment, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was hopelessly in love with her. 

He pulled away from her, breathing heavily. Her captivating eyes were fixed on him, her face flushed with desire. She smiled, and his heart exploded. 

“Katara, I-” he started. 

Suddenly there was a loud explosion from up at the house. They both instinctively jumped to their feet and began to run. Katara drew water from the ocean to form two large water tentacles around her arms as they made their way across the sand, and together they turned up the stone path towards the house, ready for a fight. 

When they arrived in the courtyard however, all they saw was Toph standing alone surrounded by dozens of chunks of rock littered across the ground. 

“What happened??” Katara said, looking around for an attacker. 

“Aang happened!” Toph said angrily. “He freaked out and blew up a boulder, then ran into the house!” 

Katara and Zuko exchanged a confused look, and Katara released the water she had been bending into the fountain. “What do you mean?” she asked. 

“Aang wasn’t focusing on training at all today. He kept messing up his stance and falling over, and he kept getting angrier and angrier every time I had to correct him. So I tried hurling a boulder at him, hoping it would wake him up, and he totally lost his temper! He let out this angry scream and the boulder just… exploded, then he ran into the house. I mean, I guess it worked, but still.”

“He’s been having a rough day, I think,” Zuko said. “That’s why I let him off early this morning. He was getting short-tempered with me too.”

Katara sighed. “I know he’s stressed out and everything, but he can’t treat you guys like that. You’re only trying to help him.” 

“Tell that to Grumpy Pants,” Toph said, using her bending to clear the debris from the courtyard. 

She looked over at Zuko with a guilty look. “I don’t know if he’ll listen to me at the moment.”

Before anyone could reply, Sokka and Suki came running into the courtyard, carrying several bags between them and looking extremely concerned. “What was that explosion?” Suki asked. “We heard it all the way from the road.”

“Aang got frustrated and lost his temper,” Katara explained. 

“More like he had a temper tantrum,” Toph muttered. 

Suki frowned at them. “I would suggest someone go talk to him, but I imagine he just needs time to cool down. Let’s just give him space for now.”

“I’m certainly not going anywhere near him if he’s blowing things up,” Sokka agreed. 

Suki rolled her eyes. “Come on, Sokka the Brave. Let’s go put the groceries away.” 

Sokka grinned sheepishly at her and started towards the house, Toph it tow. Suki turned to follow, but then glanced back at Katara with a sly smirk. “You have sand in your hair, by the way.”

Katara’s face flushed red and her hands flew up to brush the sand off of herself, giving Zuko a sheepish smile before following Suki. Zuko sighed, watching her walk away. He’d just have to tell her he loved her another time. 

XXXX

Aang was nowhere to be found for the rest of the day, and Katara had begun to worry. She knew he was still upset about the play and their fight at the theatre, so she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. However it annoyed her that he was being so dramatic and childish about it. He had taken his anger out on Zuko, which she could at least understand to a degree, but then again on Toph, who had nothing to do with Aang’s feelings for Katara. And then to vanish and worry his friends… it was too much. 

Suki had been far more patient, reminding her that Aang would reappear when he was ready to. Sure enough, he emerged shortly before dinner, sauntering into the kitchen and complaining about his empty stomach. 

“Where have you _been all day?_ We were worried!” Katara exclaimed, her patience all but gone. 

Aang’s face fell, but he shrugged dismissively. “I just needed a break and some time alone. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

Katara opened her mouth to argue, but Suki cut her off. “We’re just glad you’re safe. How about we build a fire on the beach and do a barbecue for dinner? Sokka and I picked up a bunch of vegetables and meat today that would be perfect over the fire.”

Katara shot her an annoyed look, and Suki just shook her head. 

“That would be fantastic! Just like old times,” Aang replied enthusiastically. 

“Did I hear barbecue?” Sokka asked, entering the room.

“Yeah! We’re going to do a beach fire tonight!” Aang explained. 

“Aang, why don’t you go grab some firewood and prep the fire? And Sokka, if you can find Toph and Zuko and let them know where to find us, Katara and I will grab what we need and meet you all on the beach.” Suki instructed.

Both boys nodded, and took off to do their assigned tasks. Katara fixed her gaze on her friend, crossing her arms. 

“Why did you let him off so easy?” she demanded.

“We need him to keep training, and we can’t afford to keep losing days. I know it’s frustrating, but right now we have bigger concerns. He still has to face the Fire Lord, and that can’t be easy for him to dwell on,” Suki explained. 

Katara sighed, resigned. “I suppose you’re right. But if he treats any of us like that again, I’m going to say something. We are his friends, and it’s not fair to any of us.”

“That’s fair,” Suki agreed. “Hey, do you know if he is still planning on waiting to fight the Fire Lord until after the comet?”

“As far as I’m aware, though he hasn’t mentioned it since before we left the Western Air Temple. Why?” 

“No reason really. The comet is only a few days away now, so I was wondering if maybe he had changed his mind.”

“Do you think he should?” Katara asked. 

Suki shrugged. “It’s his decision. I know he wants to wait until he feels ready, but I don’t know if he will ever be ready. Maybe it would be best to just get it over with… we really can’t afford to wait much longer.”

“I agree… but you’re right. It’s his decision. He needs to make the choice on his own, trying to force his hand only makes him dig his heels in harder.”

Suki and Katara gathered up a bunch of food that would be easily cooked over the fire, separating the meat and vegetables onto large platters to be easily carried. Once they were done, they made their way down to the beach, where Aang already had a roaring fire going. Toph, Sokka, and Zuko had already joined him, and Toph had formed seats out of Earth that sat two people each. Toph and Aang shared one seat, and were laughing heartily as they approached. It seemed any animosity caused by his outburst earlier had been forgotten, much to Katara’s relief. 

Zuko had brought down cushions and blankets for everyone. He sat cross-legged under a blanket on one of the seats, his eyes fixed on Katara as she joined them. Her heart fluttered, and she greeted him with a warm smile. She placed her tray down next to the fire and took a seat next to Zuko as Suki settled in next to Sokka. 

Katara pulled Zuko’s blanket over her lap as well, letting her hand graze his thigh for a moment as she adjusted the blanket around them both. She could feel him tense at her touch, and heard a small intake of breath which made her smirk mischievously. She didn’t want to push her luck with the others around however, and decided not to tease him too much. Instead she settled in under the blanket, letting her leg rest against his. 

Everyone seemed to be in a far better mood. Cooking food over an open fire under an open sky made them nostalgic, and soon enough the conversation had turned to their previous adventures. Katara could hardly believe how much things had changed; less than a year ago she was an untrained Waterbender looking after the few dozen people left in her village. In the span of several months, she had mastered Waterbending, freed enslaved people, fought in battles against the Fire Nation, seen nearly the entire world, and discovered people and places that nobody had ever heard of. In not even a whole year she had lived a whole lifetime.

The sky grew steadily darker and one by one the stars began to shine. Katara turned her eyes towards the inky black night, wondering what else the world had in store for her. She was more grateful than ever that she and Zuko had a plan for after the war, because she wasn’t so sure she would be able to sit idle now that she had lived so much and so freely. 

“What are you thinking?” Zuko asked, breaking her from her thoughts. 

“Nothing in particular,” she replied, turning her eyes to his. She could sense Aang’s gaze on her, and she didn’t want to say much more just in case he was eavesdropping. “Just thinking about all the things that have happened in such a short time. It feels like we’ve been at this for years.”

“It is strange to think about, isn’t it?” Zuko said. “A lot has changed over the last year.” 

“A lot of things for the better,” Katara replied with a flirtatious smirk. 

He grinned, lowering his head to hide the blush that crept across his cheeks. 

“We need more firewood!” Suki suddenly announced, getting to her feet. “Katara, why don’t you come help me out?” 

Katara looked up and frowned at her friend, who was giving her an insistent look. “Okay… sure.”

She cast a confused look towards Zuko, and detangled herself from the blanket they were sharing. Suki turned and headed up the path towards the house, Katara in tow. Once they were out of earshot, Suki fell into step with her.

“Aang is watching you like a sparrowhawk, you know. If you don’t want him to make assumptions about you and Zuko, you may want to tone down the flirting,” she said. 

Katara huffed. “I don’t owe Aang anything, and I wish he would get that through his head! The only reason we are keeping things a secret is so he won’t freak out and refuse to let Zuko train him, but it’s really unfair you know!”

“I know, and I agree. I just wanted to warn you that you aren’t being very subtle.”

They reached the wood storage and grabbed a couple pieces each, Katara still fuming. She was getting so tired of tip-toeing around Aang’s feelings, especially after he tried to forcibly kiss her again. He seemed to have this idea in his head that they were soulmates or something, and she knew that her subtle discouragement wasn’t getting anywhere. She really needed to just be honest and turn him down for good. But considering the foul mood he had been in all morning she still didn’t think it was a good idea to do it before he fought the Fire Lord. 

“Soooo… what _is_ going on with you and Zuko anyway?” Suki asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Last we talked, you were sure it was just a crush and it would pass.”

Katara couldn’t help but smile. “It turns out that it wasn’t just a crush and it most definitely did not pass. As it happens, he feels the same way.”

“Well obviously,” Suki replied with a grin. “I mean… are you together now? I want details.”

Katara laughed and rolled her eyes. “Since last night. I snuck out after everyone went to bed and he came down to find me. We got to talking… and then we were kissing…” 

Suki let out a squeal of delight, causing Katara to laugh harder. 

“Honestly, you’re more excited about this than I am,” Katara joked. 

“I’ve been watching you to pine for each other for weeks now. Of course I’m excited that you two dummies finally figured it out. Just…” Suki paused thoughtfully. 

“Just what?” Katara pried.

“Just be careful.”

“What do you mean?” Katara asked, confused. “Just a second ago you were saying you were excited for us.” 

“And I am, and I wish you both all the happiness in the world, but it’s not going to be easy for you two. Even if we win this war there will be a lot of people wanting Zuko’s head, and there will be plenty of others who will think you aren’t good enough for him. It’s not true of course, but banished or not, he is still a prince. You’re bound to face a lot of animosity together.”

Katara knew all of this of course, but it was easier to ignore while they were isolated on an island together with nobody but their friends around. She knew that if they truly wanted their always and forever, they would both have to fight for it every single day. Probably for the rest of their lives. But hearing Suki say it so blatantly forced those doubts out of the shadows of her mind where she had kept them locked away. 

“I just want you to be absolutely certain you are ready to face that all before you make any serious commitments, that’s all. For now, just enjoy each other,” Suki added, seeing the crestfallen look on Katara’s face. 

She forced a smile, banishing her doubts back to the shadows. Suki was right; there was no point in dwelling on it now. For all she knew, they’d all be dead in a few weeks anyway. 

“We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose. We’re more focused on the war anyway,” she replied. 

Suki smiled tentatively. “Let’s get back… and try to keep the snuggling to a minimum, unless you want Aang and Sokka to notice.”

“Will do,” Katara replied with a laugh, following Suki back down the path towards their friends.

XXXX 

The next day they all slept late, even Zuko, much to his own surprise. They had stayed up late into the night talking and laughing, and it was a much needed break from all the drama as of late. Zuko was determined to train with Aang however, and after breakfast, he dragged the young Airbender out into the courtyard. The others followed, having nothing else much to do, and scattered themselves on the stairs to watch. 

Zuko led Aang through a warm up then went over forms as they did every morning, then gave Aang a sequence to practice on his own. Once he had the moves down, Zuko stepped aside to watch. His form was more or less correct and the moves were accurate, but he was lacking that certain intent that really put the strength behind Firebending. 

“More ferocious! Imagine striking through your opponent’s heart,” Zuko called to him. 

Aang stopped and turned with a frustrated groan. “I’m trying!”

He needed to try harder. He lacked any ferocity, and Zuko was determined to get it out of him. “Now let me hear you roar like a tigerdillo!” he demanded.

Aang let out a pathetic roar, a small burst of flame escaping his mouth. He smiled sheepishly. 

“That sounded pathetic!” Zuko said, egging him on. “I said roar!” 

Aang tried the move again, this time belting out a roar that unleashed a hot stream of flame. That was more like it. Zuko nodded in approval, satisfied. He knew the ferocity was there, Aang just needed to harness it. 

“Who wants a nice, cool glass of watermelon juice?” Katara called from the stairs, drawing Aang’s attention away. 

“Ooh, ooh!! Me! Me! Me!” Aang exclaimed, running towards her. 

Zuko reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him back. “Hey! Your lesson’s not over yet! Get back here!” 

“Come on Zuko, just take a break!” Suki called to him. “What’s the big deal?”

“Fine,” Zuko replied, releasing Aang. “If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!” 

He turned and stormed off towards the beach, frustrated. The comet was only a couple of days away, and he couldn’t understand why nobody was taking it more seriously. He had thought by now they would be in full training mode, working out the laziness of the last couple of weeks and getting Aang into top shape before he had to face the Fire Lord. 

Zuko wandered aimlessly for a while, trying to cool off. After about twenty minutes of kicking sand and grumbling to himself, he finally got his temper under control and headed back towards the house to talk to Aang. But as he made his way towards the path, he saw the group of them in their underclothes heading down to the beach. His temper flared anew. If they weren’t going to take this seriously, he would just have to make them. 

XXXX

Katara was feeling bad about upsetting Zuko during his training with Aang. She hadn’t realized that he was getting so frustrated with their growing laziness, though she could definitely understand why. They were supposed to be training Aang, not goofing off. She had been tempted to go after him, but she had decided against it. He had stormed off for a reason, and she knew all too well how some time alone helped cool one’s temper. So instead she decided to get in on Sokka’s beach plan. 

They all ran inside to change and get towels, then met back up in the courtyard and headed down to the beach together. Katara immediately made for the water; she hadn’t been surfing in ages, and she was dying to get out on the waves. She formed the water into a board of ice, then lept on, propelling herself forward with her bending. Once she was far enough out, the waves were large enough to leap over and ride at will, even without her bending. She felt so free, and it was exhilarating. The wind whipped through her hair as she twisted her body to cut the ice board across a wave, feeling a spray of salty water douse her skin. 

She used her bending to form an even larger wave, steering her board straight for it. She dove down and grabbed the board, directing it under the wave before snapping back up and twisting around to ride the crest of the wave. She let out a joyous laugh as she surfed the swell, but her laughter was interrupted by a sudden loud blast of fire from the beach. Squinting through the sunlight, she saw another blast, and then another. She couldn’t quite make out what was happening from so far away, so she propelled herself forward to return to the beach.

As she got closer she could see Zuko sending blast after blast of fire towards a fleeing Aang. Confused, she left up onto the sand as they ran up towards the house. 

“What happened?” she demanded.

“Zuko’s gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki, and he destroyed it!” Sokka lamented, feebly trying to push the sand back into place. 

Katara blinked at him, confused. 

“Oh, and he’s attacking Aang,” Sokka added. 

Katara, Toph, and Suki took off to follow Zuko, Suki dragging Sokka in her wake. They could hear the sounds of a fight, and as they rounded the corner they could see more blasts of fire. Katara could just barely make out Zuko and Aang on the roof before Aang vanished over the side and out of sight. She saw Zuko blast his way through the roof and drop into the room below, and there was a brief moment of silence. 

“Is it over?” Sokka asked, staring up at the house, dumbfounded. 

Suddenly they heard a crash, followed by some more fire blasts. They ran to the side of the house, trying to get a better angle, just as there was another, louder crash. Zuko came bursting through the second story wall, crashing hard to the ground.

Katara’s first instinct was fear. She picked up her pace, worried that he had been gravely injured. But as they approached, she saw Zuko pushing himself up, relatively unharmed. Anger took over; anger that he would attack Aang, anger that he would destroy their home, anger that he would do something so dumb and reckless and scare her half to death.

“What’s wrong with you?” she shouted. “You could have hurt Aang!” 

She wanted to yell at him for getting himself hurt too, but she decided that was a fight for later when she didn’t have to watch her words. 

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with all of you?” he shouted back. “How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin’s Comet is only three days away?” 

They all fell silent, staring at him. _Did he not know?_ Katara thought, guilt suddenly twisting at her insides. 

“Why are you all looking at me like I’m crazy?” Zuko added, confused by their silence. 

“About Sozin’s Comet…” Aang started hesitantly. “I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until _after_ it came.”

“After?” Zuko replied incredulously. 

“I’m not ready. I need more time to master Firebending,” Aang said. 

“And frankly, your Earthbending could use some work too,” Toph added.

“So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?” Zuko asked.

Katara could tell that he was hurt that he didn’t know, and it made her feel even worse. 

“Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord now, he’s going to lose,” Sokka interjected. “No offense.”

“The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war, but they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se,” Katara explained. “Things can’t get any worse.” 

“You’re wrong,” Zuko replied darkly. It’s about to get worse than you can even imagine.” 

He turned his back on them with a heavy sigh before explaining. 

“The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back. He wanted to find a way to crush the rebellions in the Earth Kingdom, and he asked me if I thought adding more troops would stop the rebellions. Like an idiot, I told him the people of the Earth Kingdom were proud, and would never stop as long as they had hope. Then Azula suggested we should just burn them all to the ground.”

Zuko paused, turning back around to face them. “My father was inspired by this. He said that his grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, used the comet to wipe out the Air Nomads… and now that the comet was about to return, he would use its power to destroy the Earth Kingdom. He is going to lead his whole fleet of airships across the Earth Kingdom and use the power of the comet to raze everything to the ground.”

Katara felt cold dread run through her, and she could tell by the looks on her friends faces that they were equally shocked. Zuko, looking extremely somber, sat heavily on a nearby rock. 

“I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I’m ashamed to say I didn’t. My whole life I struggled to gain my father’s love and acceptance, but once I had it, I realized I’d lost myself getting there. I’d forgotten who I was.” 

Katara felt dizzy, and sank to her knees. “I can’t believe this…” 

“I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but his plan is just pure evil,” Sokka said. 

“What am I going to do?” Aang asked desperately. 

Zuko stood and walked towards him. “I know you’re scared, and I know you’re not ready to save the world. But if you don’t defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won’t be a world to save anymore.” 

Aang stared at him for a moment, then his face twisted into a scowl. “Why didn’t you tell me about your dad’s crazy plan sooner?” he said angrily.

“I didn’t think I had to! I assumed you were going to fight him before the comet… no one told me you decided to wait!” Zuko retaliated. 

Aang walked away from them, holding his head in his hands. “This is bad,” he said, sinking to his knees. “This is really, really bad.”

Katara marched over to him. “Aang, you don’t have to do this alone,” she said, the others moving to stand next to her in solidarity. 

“Yeah! If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down!” Toph chimed. 

“Alright!” Sokka exclaimed suddenly. “Team Avatar is back! Air, Water, Earth, Fire!” he pointed at each bender in turn. “Fan and sword!” He shoved a large leaf into Suki’s hands, holding up a large frond of his own to represent a sword. 

Everyone looked at him for a moment with incredulous looks on their faces, then Aang brushed past Sokka’s outburst and spoke. 

“Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we’ve ever done together, but I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.” 

Filled with renewed hope, Katara strode forward to embrace Aang, followed swiftly by Sokka, Suki and Toph. The five of them linked together, laughing. She noticed Zuko lingering awkwardly, and looked up with a smile. 

“Get over here Zuko! Being part of the group also means being part of the group hugs.”

Reluctantly he walked over and joined them, but the group hug was short lived as Appa, who had apparently decided to be a part of the group hug as well, trampled them to the ground. 

Later that afternoon, Katara sat outside watching Zuko and Aang train some more. Sokka, Suki, and Toph had gone off to set up a training course, but Zuko had specifically invited her to come along with him instead, saying that it would be a lesson she might find interesting. Her curiosity piqued, she had followed them to the courtyard and sat on the stairs nearby.

“There’s one technique you need to know before facing my father; how to redirect lightning,” Zuko started, bringing a grin to Aang’s face. 

He took his stance and started moving his right arm down his left, across his body, and back up towards the sky, repeating the motion on the other side. The flow of the motions were very familiar, and she couldn’t help but think it was very Waterbender-like.

“If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponent’s energy against them.”

Katara perked up at this; Zuko had been right, this was a fascinating lesson. 

“That’s like Waterbending!” Aang exclaimed, having reached the same conclusion that she did as he copied the motion.

“Exactly. My uncle invented this technique himself by studying Waterbenders,” Zuko explained. 

“So, have _you_ ever redirected lightning before?” Aang asked curiously. 

“Once, against my father.”

“What did it feel like?” Aang pried. 

Zuko stopped the motion of the technique, taking a centering breath before answering. “Exhilarating… but terrifying. You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body, but you know if you make the wrong move… it’s over.”

Katara tensed at the explanation. Exhilarating… terrifying… powerful… that was the same way Bloodbending felt. 

Aang chuckled nervously. “Well, not… _over_ , over. I mean, there’s always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?” 

“Actually I used it all up after Azula shot you,” Katara replied.

“Oh…” Aang said, dejected. 

“You’ll have to take the Fire Lord’s life, before he takes yours,” Zuko said. 

“Yeah… I’ll just do that…”

Zuko turned and strode away without another word. Katara watched him vanish into the house, then turned back to Aang just in time to see him wander off in the other direction. She stood with a sigh, and followed Zuko. She needed to speak to him anyway, and it would probably be the only chance she got. 

She found him in the study, standing at the bookshelves, running his fingers over the worn spines. He didn’t turn when she entered the room, but waited for her to close the door before speaking. 

“It’s strange… I _hate_ my father. He told me to my face that he almost tossed me off the Palace walls when I was young because he thought I wouldn’t be a bender. He told me that I was lucky to be born. He constantly put me down and made me feel ashamed of myself. He’s the reason my mother is gone, and the reason I will carry this scar for the rest of my life. He permanently maimed his thirteen year old son for talking out of turn, just to prove some sort of twisted point. He is a horrible, monstrous person.”

Katara listened silently, her eyes brimming with tears. She had no _clue_ that his father had been so abusive. He had never really talked about how he had gotten his scar, and she had never wanted to pry. But the truth was unspeakable. She wanted to say so, but she was at a loss for words. 

Zuko dropped his hand limply at his side, staring morosely at the floor. “Despite all that, the thought that Aang killing my father makes me… sad.” he looked up at her finally, and she could see the pain he felt written all over his features. 

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into her embrace. He immediately hugged her back, holding her tightly as if he were afraid to lose her too. 

“Zuko, it’s not strange at all. He may be a monster, but he is still your father. I imagine it’s not so much his death that makes you sad… more than the knowledge that he was never the father you deserved to have. His death just makes it all the more final. You’ve spent so long just wanting to be loved by him, and once he is gone, that’s it. There’s no more hope that he will one day come around.” 

She felt his arms tighten around her, and she knew she had guessed correctly. “He doesn’t deserve you, you know. Anyone who could hurt their own child in such a barbaric way could never deserve to have a son even half as kind, honourable, and loyal as you. He isn’t worth a second thought. Your uncle on the other hand, now _he_ is the father you deserve.”

Katara felt him tense in her arms as he let out a silent sob. She squeezed him tight, resting one hand on the back of his neck and letting her fingers stroke his skin comfortingly. They stood in a silent embrace for a while until Zuko finally loosened his grip on her. She pulled back slightly, reaching up to gently touch his scar. Knowing how he had gotten it made her blood burn hot, but it was not the time to get riled up about it. 

Zuko closed his eyes and leaned into her touch with a sigh. “Thank you Katara.”

She smiled, then leaned in and kissed him gently. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.” 

His eyes opened, and he frowned. “Don’t be; I shouldn’t have attacked Aang.”

“Still, I’m sorry. Honestly I was more angry that _you_ could have gotten hurt. You very nearly did.” 

“I was pretty angry myself. I had no idea what was going on,” Zuko replied with a sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me Aang was going to wait?”

Katara’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I thought you knew, and it just… never occurred to me to check.” 

“Well… Aang should have told me ages ago, but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”

She looked back at him, feeling relieved. She was sure he would be more upset about it, but he genuinely seemed to be over it already. She still felt bad that nobody had told him, but he was right. It didn’t matter anymore. 

“Why don’t we go see what the others are up to?” Zuko suggested. 

Katara nodded, and together they left the room. The sun was set low in the sky by the time they rejoined their friends, but it seemed they had arrived just as Sokka’s training course had been finished. 

“Gather round, Team Avatar!” he exclaimed as Zuko and Katara approached, curiously. 

“In order to take out the Fire Lord - or in this case, the Melon Lord, our timing has to be perfect,” Sokka began to draw in the dirt with a stick as he explained the plan. “First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy-hot offense, and while the Melon Lord is distracted, Aang swoops in and BAM! He delivers the final blow.” 

“Uuuhh… what about me?” Toph asked.

“For now, you’re the Melon Lord’s forces,” Sokka replied. 

“So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?” she said, far too excitedly for Katara’s comfort. 

“Whatever makes the training feel more realistic!” 

“Sweetness,” she said, grinning.

They all drifted to their positions on the course, waiting for the training to begin. Once Sokka gave the signal, she and Zuko took off immediately, scaling a nearby cliff to get the high ground. They continued forward as Toph launched flaming boulders at Sokka and Suki, gaining ground before a flaming boulder came towards them. They dodged it easily, coming back together almost instantly once the danger was avoided. Toph sent a ring of rock mannequins to surround them, and without hesitation they were back to back, fighting off each ‘attacker’ as it came.

They had fought together before and had always worked well as a team, but now they seemed to be so in sync with each other that it was exhilarating. She knew without a doubt that he had her back, and she could practically sense his every move as they fought in tandem. They felled the rock forces in no time at all, and moved forward once again without a word. They met up with Sokka and Suki, just as Aang took his chance to strike. 

Only instead of following through on the attack, Aang hesitated. 

“What are you waiting for? Take him out!” Zuko called. 

“I can’t,” he replied quietly. 

Sokka stormed up the hill to Aang. “What’s wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you’d be shot full of lightning right now.”

“I’m sorry, but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like myself.” 

Annoyed, Sokka unsheathed his sword and casually cleaved the melon representing the Fire Lord’s head clean in two. Aang flinched.

“There. That’s how it’s done,” Sokka said, sheathing his sword and stomping away, leaving Aang standing alone, staring at the melon halves. 

The others exchanged concerned looks, and silently followed Sokka back up to the house, giving Aang time to think.

XXXX

That night they decided to eat dinner outside in the courtyard. So much had happened that day, and none of them felt like being cooped up in the stuffy house, so they prepped their plates and filed out to sit together on the steps. Katara had disappeared while dinner was being cooked, saying something about a better cooking pot, and hadn’t re-emerged until they had settled in to eat. 

She walked out to join them, holding a rolled up scroll. “I have a surprise for everyone!” she announced.

“I knew it! You _did_ have a secret thing with Haru!” Toph exclaimed out of the blue.

Zuko frowned at her, hoping that it was untrue. He already had to deal with Aang’s feelings for Katara, he really didn’t want to unintentionally cause pain to Haru as well.

“Uh… no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found this!” she said, unravelling the scroll. “Look at baby Zuko! Isn’t he cute?” 

Everyone giggled at the picture, but Zuko took one look at it and turned away unhappily. 

“Oh lighten up, I’m just teasing,” Katara said, noticing his dour expression.

“That’s not me. It’s my father.” 

Katara blushed slightly, and rolled the scroll back up, looking mortified. 

“But he looks so sweet and innocent,” Suki mused. 

“Well that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster, and the worst father in the history of fathers,” Zuko replied bitterly. His conversation with Katara earlier was still fresh on his mind, and it was very much a raw subject. 

“But he’s still a human being,” Aang interjected. 

“You’re going to defend him?” Zuko replied, annoyed. 

“No, I agree with you. Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him. But there’s got to be another way.”

“Like what?” Zuko asked, his annoyance growing. 

“I don’t know…” he perked up. “Maybe we can make some big pots of glue, and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can’t bend anymore!” 

“Yeah!” Zuko replied sarcastically. “Then you can show him his baby pictures, and all those happy memories will make him good again!” 

“Do you really think that would work?” Aang asked optimistically. 

Zuko’s fake smile fell. “No!” he yelled as their friends suppressed giggles behind him. 

Aang sighed and started to pace. “This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can’t just go around wiping out people I don’t like.”

“Sure you can, you’re the Avatar!” Sokka said. If it’s in the name of keeping balance, I’m pretty sure the universe will forgive you.” 

“This isn’t a joke Sokka!” Aang yelled, turning on him angrily. None of you understands the position I’m in!” 

“Aang, we do understand. It’s just-” Katara started. 

“Just what, Katara? What?” 

“We’re trying to help!” she yelled back, clearly having lost her patience. 

“Then when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I’d love to hear it!” Aang replied, then turned and stormed off. 

“Aang, don’t walk away from this!” 

Katara started after him, but Zuko strode over and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She stopped, and turned back to face him.

“Let him go,” he said. “He needs time to sort it out by himself.” 

Katara nodded, though she was still visibly annoyed. He understood; he was annoyed too. But they weren’t going to get through to him this way. 

“Why don’t we just finish up with dinner and get an early night? We have an early start in the morning,” Zuko suggested. 

“That’s a good idea. I’ve lost my appetite anyway…” Suki said. 

Sokka swiped her plate and emptied the contents onto his own. “I’ve got you covered,” he said. 

Suki rolled her eyes, but it was enough to lighten the mood. As frustrated as they all were with Aang, they would just have to put it aside for the time being. They would come back to it in the morning after they had all rested, and sort it out then.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: this chapter contains scenes and dialogue lifted from Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I have added my own additions to the dialogue, I do not claim any right to works produced by the Avatar team.

They were up bright and early the next morning, feeling rested and ready for a new day. They spent the morning sweeping the house, gathering up all of their supplies and belongings and packing everything up. Katara and Suki worked on packing up the last of their food, as well as bandages and other medical supplies, Sokka got to work on getting Appa ready, and Toph sorted through all their camping equipment. They gathered in the courtyard once they had combed through the house, getting the last of their things into Appa’s saddle. 

“Okay, that’s everything!” Sokka said as the last bag was settled. 

“No it’s not… where’s Aang?” Toph asked.

They exchanged worried looks, and Katara felt sick that he hadn’t noticed he was missing until now. They all ran back into the house, splitting up to search every corner of every room. He was nowhere to be found. 

Suki, Katara, and Sokka met back up on the upstairs balcony, where they found Aang’s staff abandoned.

“He left his staff… that’s so strange,” Sokka said, picking it up. 

“Aang’s not in the house,” Zuko said as he and Toph joined them. “Let’s check the beach.”

Together they ran from the house and down the stone walkway towards the beach. They didn’t have to go far before finding another clue. 

“Look, there’s his footprints!” Sokka exclaimed once they reached the sandy shore. “The trail ends here.”

“So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?” Suki mused.

“Maybe he was captured,” Katara suggested, her concern growing with each passing moment.

“I don’t think so, there’s no sign of a struggle,” Sokka said, examining the footprints.

“I bet he ran away again,” Toph said. 

“He left behind his glider and Appa,” Sokka replied doubtfully. 

“Then what do _you_ think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?” 

“It’s pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He’s definitely on a Spirit World journey!” Sokka concluded.

“But if he was, wouldn’t his body still be here?” Zuko asked. 

“Oh yeah, forgot about that…” 

“Then he’s got to be somewhere on Ember Island. Let’s split up and look for him,” Katara suggested. 

Toph suddenly leapt forward and latched onto Zuko’s arm. “I’m going with Zuko!” she exclaimed.

He blushed, and looked down at her confused. They all stared at her silently. “What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn.” 

Katara looked up at his blushing face, suppressing her giggles. “Alright then… you and Zuko search the beaches. Sokka, why don’t you take Appa while Suki and I check out the town, and we’ll meet back here.”

Everyone nodded, and they split off. Suki and Katara made their way to the front of the house, following the path that led into the village. As they approached they could hear a crowd chanting, and gave each other curious looks. Upon entering the village square, they saw a large crowd, and they were chanting Aang’s name. Hopeful, the two women ran towards the group, shoving their way into the circle. They were met with frustration however, upon realizing that it was not Aang at all, merely the actress who played him in the Ember Island Players troupe. Annoyed, they turned away from the crowd and combed the rest of the town. Finding no sign of him, they reluctantly returned to the beach house. 

Zuko and Toph had already returned by the time they arrived, sitting on the stairs and waiting for the others. Assuming they hadn’t had any luck either, Suki and Katara joined them with heavy sighs. They sat in silence, none of them knowing what to say. After a few minutes, Appa appeared and landed before them.

“Judging by the looks on your faces, I’m guessing you guys didn’t find Aang either,” Sokka said dejectedly, jumping down from Appa’s back.

“No,” Zuko replied. “It’s like just… disappeared.” 

Toph sat up suddenly as a thought struck her. “Hey wait a minute! Has anyone noticed that Momo’s missing too?” 

Sokka was struck with a horrified look, and he turned and sank to his knees. “Oh no… I knew it was only a matter of time!” He stood and leapt down the stairs, prying open Appa’s mouth. “Appa ate Momo! Momo, I’m coming for you, buddy!” 

The others looked on as Sokka dove head first into Appa’s mouth, and Katara rolled her eyes. 

“Sokka, Appa didn’t eat Momo. He’s probably with Aang,” she said.

“That’s just what Appa wants you to think!” Sokka replied, attempting to climb into the Bison’s mouth again. 

“Get out of the Bison’s mouth Sokka!” Zuko ordered sternly. “We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found, and the comet is only two days away.” 

“Katra looked up at him hopefully. “What should we do, Zuko?” 

“I don’t know,” he said, getting to his feet. 

They all stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. 

“Why are you all looking at _me_?” 

“Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang,” Katara pointed out. 

“Yeah,” Toph agreed. “If anyone’s got experience hunting the Avatar, it’s you.” 

Zuko frowned, but nodded. “Alright… let me think.” 

He strode down the steps, pacing thoughtfully for a few minutes. The others sat silently, watching him with trepidation. After a while he straightened, and turned back to them. 

“I have an idea, though I can’t make any promises it will work. Come on,” he said, climbing up onto Appa’s back and taking the reins. 

The others followed without a word. Katara wanted to ask what his plan was, but she was also curious to see just how he had tracked them so well. She settled into the saddle, watching him carefully. Once they were all settled they took off, and Zuko headed east. After a while, Sokka’s curiosity got the better of him and he leaned over the saddle.

“Zuko, I don't wanna tell you how to do your job, but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There's no way Aang's there,” he said. 

“Just trust me,” Zuko replied, his focus set on the horizon. 

Sokka turned back around with a shrug. Katara had a million questions, but she knew she just had to trust Zuko’s instincts. 

After a few hours, Zuko finally seemed to find what he had been looking for, and they started their descent. They landed just outside a large tavern, and once they had all hopped down from the saddle, Zuko let them inside without a word. They exchanged curious glances, and followed. Inside were dozens of drunk, loud, rambunctious men, and Katara was immediately uncomfortable. Without thinking, she reached out and took Zuko’s hand, moving closer to him. 

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?”

“June,” he replied, pointing into the crowd with his free hand.

She was sitting in the middle of the room, sipping on a hot drink looking effortlessly cool and beautiful. Katara recognized her instantly. 

“Oh yeah, that weird bounty hunter with the giant mole!” Sokka said as they watched her take down two men without spilling a drop of her drink. 

“Mole? Her skin is flawless,” Suki said, watching her in awe. 

“No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on,” Sokka clarified. 

“The shirshu. It's the only animal that can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world. It's the one shot we have of finding him,” Zuko added. 

They watched as she tossed her cup into the air and threw another man across the room before catching her cup again, effortlessly. Toph stepped forward with a grin. 

“I don’t know who this June lady is, but I like her!” she exclaimed. 

June kicked her chair into place, and sat down to continue enjoying her drink.

“I remember her… She helped you attack us!” Sokka said.

“Yup, back in the good old days,” Zuko said, walking towards her. 

He approached her table, the others in tow, but before he could greet her, she spoke. 

“Oh great, it’s Prince Pouty,” she said, her voice smooth as silk. “Where’s your creepy grandpa?” 

Katara narrowed her eyes at her, not liking her attitude.

“He’s my uncle. And he’s not here,” Zuko replied.

She looked up at him with a provocative smirk. “I see you worked things out with your girlfriend.”

They both turned red, and spoke at once, lying unconvincingly. 

“I’m not his girlfriend!” 

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh, I was only teasing,” she replied, unconvinced. “So what do you want?”

“I need your help finding the Avatar,” Zuko explained.

“Hm. Doesn’t sound too fun,” June replied, sipping her drink. 

Zuko lost his temper, clenching his fists and leaning in. “Does the end of the world sound like more fun?” 

She blinked at him, then laughed. “Calm down, Pouty Pants. Yeesh, you really are no fun.” 

Katara could hear Toph snicker behind them. Considering her own habit of annoying nicknames and unpleasant teasing, Katara wasn’t surprised that Toph found June amusing. 

“So you’ll help us then?” Katara asked. 

June sighed dramatically and got to her feet. “Fine, I’ll help. Follow me.”

She led them back outside, swiping a chunk of meat off of the counter as she went. She strode over to where Appa and the mole were, holding the meat up. 

“Nyla... “ she called, tossing the meat in the mole’s direction. 

She snatched it out of thin air and gobbled it down as June approached, wrapping her arms around the mole’s snout. “Who’s my little snuffly-wuffly?” June cooed. 

Nyla’s tongue shot out of her mouth and June narrowly dodged it, snapping the mole’s jaws shut. “Woah! Careful there,” she said, giving Nyla a pat on the nose. 

She turned back to the group. “Okay, so who’s got something with the Avatar’s scent on it?” 

Katara climbed up Appa’s back and reached into the saddle. “I have Aang’s staff,” she replied, holding it up. 

June gestured for it and Katara tossed it down to her. She caught it with ease and brought it over to Nyla, laying it flat for her to sniff. The mole began sniffing frantically, walking in circles with increasing agitation before finally giving up and sinking to the ground with a whine, pawing at her nose. 

“Well what does that mean?” Zuko asked. 

It means your friend’s gone,” June replied, kneeling down to comfort Nyla. 

“We know he’s gone, that’s why we’re trying to find him,” Toph said, agitated. 

“No I mean he’s gone, gone. He doesn’t exist,” June said, getting to her feet. 

They stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, then Sokka stepped forward. “What do you mean Aang doesn’t exist? Do you mean he’s… you know, dead?” 

“Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it’s a real head-scratcher. See ya,” she said dismissively. 

“Helpful, real helpful,” Toph said bitterly. 

Zuko stepped forward. “Wait, I have another idea. There’s only one other person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord.” He turned to June. “I’ll be right back with a smell sample.”

He strode over to Appa and hopped up to the saddle, rifling through his bag until he found what he was looking for. When he returned, he was carrying an old sandal that absolutely reeked of sweaty feet. He held it up for June, much to the disgust of his friends. 

“You saved your uncle’s sweaty sandal?” Sokka asked incredulously. 

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” Toph said, grinning. 

Nyla launched forward and sniffed the sandal enthusiastically, picking up the scent right away. 

“Let’s do this,” June said, taking off.

“Hey, wait up!” Zuko called.

They hurried up onto Appa’s back and they took off, following June. Nyla ran straight through the night without pause, and by the time she stopped, a whole day had passed as well. Zuko directed Appa to the ground, noticing that Nyla had stopped and was snuffling around in some rubble.

“We’re going to Ba Sing Se?” he asked, confused. 

“You’re uncle’s somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla’s getting twitchy, so it can’t be too far. Good luck,” June said.

Without another word, she snapped the reins and took off, leaving them alone. Zuko frowned.

“It’s been a long day. Let’s camp and start our search again at dawn.”

It was late and none of them felt like setting up tents, so instead they curled up against Appa. Suki and Sokka curled up together on one side of him, and Zuko and Katara on the other. Toph made herself a rock burrow as usual, so they had a little bit of privacy. There was so much Katara wanted to talk to Zuko about, but they couldn’t really talk openly so instead she merely gave him a gentle kiss, holding his hands in hers until they both drifted off into slumber. 

They hadn’t been asleep long when Toph suddenly broke down her rock tent. The noise startled Katara awake, but before Toph could explain they were surrounded by a ring of fire. They all jumped to their feet, prepared to fight, but froze when they spotted Bumi, Piandao, Jeong Jeong, and Pakku.

“Well, look who’s here”! Bumi exclaimed, laughing. 

Katara grinned. She had definitely not been expecting to find these four all the way out here.

“What’s going on?” Toph asked. “We’re surrounded by old people.”

“Not just any old people,” Katara said. “These are great Masters and friends of ours!”

She approached Pakku, grinning happily. She gave him a respectful bow. 

Pakku!” 

He bowed in return. “It is respectful to bow to an old Master, but how about a hug, for your new grandfather?” 

Katara gave him a dumbfounded look, and threw her arms up. “That’s so exciting!” She leapt forwards and embraced him. “You and Gran Gran must be so happy to have found each other again!” 

“I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything.” 

Sokka suddenly threw his arms around Pakku, grinning. “Welcome to the family, Gramp-Gramp!” 

“You can still just call me Pakku…” he replied, pushing Sokka away. 

“How about… Grand-Pakku?!” Sokka suggested. 

“No,” Pakku replied flatly. 

Zuko approached, and Katara turned to introduce him to Jeong Jeong.

“And this was Aang’s first Firebending teacher,” she said. 

“Jeong Jeong,” he said, bowing respectfully.

Sokka wandered over to his old Master with a smile, and bowed. “Master Piandao.” 

He bowed in return, “Hello Sokka.” 

“So wait… how do you all know each other?” Suki asked suddenly. 

“All old people know each other, don’t you know that?” Buki answered, cackling gleefully. 

“We’re all part of the same ancient secret society,” Piandao clarified. “A group that transcends the division of the four nations.” 

“The Order of the White Lotus,” Zuko said, a happy smile on his face. 

Katara was shocked that he knew that. She had never heard of them before. 

“That’s the one!” Buki confirmed. 

“The White Lotus has always been about philosophy, and beauty, and truth,” Jeong Jeong said. “But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important.” 

“It came from a Grand Lotus; your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation,” Pakku added.

Zuko smiled, but Toph interrupted before he could speak. “Well that’s who we’re looking for!”

“Then We’ll take you to him,” Piandao said. 

“Wait, someone’s missing from your group, someone very important,” Bumi interrupted, looking between them with a serious expression. 

Katara was just about to explain Aang’s mysterious disappearance, but he spoke again. 

“Where’s Momo?” he asked, getting right into Sokka’s face. 

Sokka blinked at him uncomfortably. “He’s gone,” he replied. “And so is Aang.” 

Bumi stepped back and shrugged. “Oh well. As long as they have each other, I’m sure we have nothing to worry about. Let’s go!” 

Without warning he launched himself into the hair with Earthbending, cackling as he vanished over the wall. Katara and Sokka exchanged confused looks, and turned their eyes to the remaining three White Lotus members. 

“Follow us,” Pakku said, gesturing them forward. 

They followed him to a path leading up the mountain, where they caught up with Bumi. Together they followed the trail, listening to Bumi tell the story of his escape from Omashu as they walked. After a while they came to a dead end. Bumi used bending to open up a path in the rocks, revealing a large clearing littered with tents, though due to the late hour there was nobody else around. 

“Well, here we are. Welcome to Old People Camp!” Bumi said with a flourish as they arrived. 

Zuko stepped forward hesitantly, looking around for a sign of his uncle. “Where… where is he?” he asked nervously. 

“Your uncle’s in there, Prince Zuko,” Piandao answered, pointing to a large tent at the far end of the camp. 

Zuko hesitated, then walked forward towards the tent. Katara watched him march forward with determination, but pause as he approached, then finally sink to the ground. Katara walked over to join him. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

“No, I’m not okay,” he replied. “My uncle hates me, I know it.” 

Katara sat down next to him, waiting for him to continue. 

“He loved me and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him.”

He looked up at her, regret etched across his face. She longed to reach out and embrace him, but the others were still nearby and she didn’t want to deal with questions. 

“How can I even face him?” Zuko added, turning away. 

“Zuko, you’re sorry for what you did, right?” Katara asked. 

“More sorry than I’ve been about anything in my entire life.” 

“Then he’ll forgive you,” she said, smiling. “He will.” 

Zuko looked at her for a moment, then nodded. He got to his feet and disappeared into the tent, leaving Katara alone. She sighed, her heart hurting for him, then got up and rejoined her friends.

XXXX

Katara had waited up for Zuko for as long as her eyes would stay open, but at some point she had drifted off. She awoke in the early morning, feeling surprisingly rested, and sat up with a long stretch. She looked around the tent they had been given and saw Suki and Sokka still curled up together under a fur blanket, sleeping soundly. She knew Toph had set up another rock tent outside, but Zuko was nowhere to be seen. 

She assumed she had spent the night with his uncle, and therefore their reunion must have gone well. The thought made her happy, but she couldn’t help but be disappointed that he had not returned. From the moment Zuko had revealed his father’s insidious plan, it had felt like they had been swept up into an avalanche with no end in sight. She had barely had time to think, let alone have a few minutes alone with Zuko, and she was desperate to just have even five minutes of privacy with him. She wanted to hold him, and kiss him, and make sure he was doing okay. She knew it was all weighing heavily on him, and she didn’t want him to bear that burden alone. 

But she also needed _him_. The past couple of days had been so overwhelming and emotional, ahd she longed for the comfort of his embrace. He was like the calm in the center of a storm, and she needed a little bit of calm. 

She got up and prepped for the day, brushing her hair and teeth, changing her clothes, and making sure her bag was packed and ready to go. By the time she was done, Suki had woken up as well, poking Sokka awake as he tried to sleep in. Once they were all prepared for the day, they left the tent. 

It seemed that most people in the camp were up, milling about chatting while they grabbed breakfast. Toph emerged from her rock tent and strode over. 

“Good morning friends!” she said, stretching loudly. “Oh good, they made up,” she added. 

Katara gave her a quizzical look, then noticed Zuko across the clearing with Iroh. They were chatting and laughing happily, which warmed her heart. “Let’s go say hi,” she suggested.

Together they made their way towards Zuko and Iroh. As they approached, Iroh turned and gave them all a beaming smile, hugging each one of them in a tight embrace. 

“It is so wonderful to see you all again! Zuko has been telling me of your adventures together all morning,” he said. “It seems you particularly have been taking very good care of my nephew,” he added as he embraced Katara.

She felt her face go hot. 

“Uncle!” Zuko exclaimed, his face reddening as well. 

Iroh chuckled and beckoned them over. “Come, let us get some breakfast.” 

He led them over to a table where breakfast had been laid out for everyone, and once they had all helped themselves, they sat down together in a circle. 

“Uncle,” Zuko began once they were settled. “You’re the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord.” 

“You mean the Fire Lord,” Toph corrected. 

“That’s what I just said!” he argued, frowning at his mistake.   
“Hmm..” Iroh mused thoughtfully. 

“We need you to come with us,” Zuko said. 

“No Zuko, it won’t turn out well,” Iroh answered. 

“You can beat him, and we’ll be there to help,” Zuko argued. 

“Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don’t know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end a war. History would see it as just more senseless violence; a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord.”

“And then… then you would come and take your rightful place on the throne?” Zuko asked.

“No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor,” Iroh replied. “It has to be _you_ , Prince Zuko.”

Zuko looked taken aback, and Katara’s heart felt heavy. 

“Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes,” Zuko said doubtfully. 

“Yes, you have,” Iroh replied. “You've struggled; you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor, and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation.”

Zuko looked unsure, but was clearly moved by Iroh’s words. “I’ll try uncle.”

And with that, Katara felt her heart drop to the ground and shatter. He was to be _Fire Lord_. There would be no travelling, no adventures, no always and forever. She never knew it was possible to feel so much pride and so much heartache at once. 

“Well, what if Aang doesn’t come back?” Toph asked.

“Sozin’s comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang _will_ face the Fire Lord,” Iroh replied. “When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again.”

“That’s why you gathered the members of the White Lotus,” Suki said. 

“Yes,” Iroh confirmed. “Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you.”

“I can handle Azula,” Zuko replied, scowling. 

“Not alone. You need help,” Iroh said. 

Zuko considered this for a moment, and said, “You’re right.” 

Katara had been staring at the dirt, feeling as if the ground had opened up beneath her and left her falling into darkness. She didn’t notice Zuko looking at her, but looked up sharply when he said her name.

“Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?” 

Despite her breaking heart, she couldn’t help but smile. The idea of putting down Zuko’s psychotic sister once and for all gave her something to focus on. “It would be my pleasure.” 

“What about us? What’s our destiny today?” Sokka asked. 

“What do you think it is?” Iroh asked sagely. 

Sokka pondered for a moment before replying. “I think that… even though we don’t know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet.”

“And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we’ll be right there if he needs us!” Toph agreed. 

Iroh nodded, smiling. “Well then, all that’s left to do is finish our breakfast. We have a big day ahead of us, so make sure you go back for seconds!” 

“Where have you _been_ all this time?” Sokka exclaimed, getting up for more food. 

Katara picked at her breakfast, but she no longer felt hungry. In fact, she didn’t feel much of anything except for a profound emptiness. She forced herself to eat as much as she could stomach, knowing she would need the fuel for the coming fight, but after a while she gave up and pushed her bowl away. She stood, making an excuse about checking her supplies, and returned to the tent. 

Once she entered she stood silently, looking around the small tent feeling lost and aimless. With nothing else to do, she knelt by her pack and dumped out the contents, repacking it for no other reason than to busy her hands. She felt tears pricking her eyes, and it was all she could do to not let them fall. She was thrilled for Zuko of course. He had his uncle back, and soon he would have his home and his life back. It was everything he wanted, and she was so proud of him. She knew he would be an amazing Fire Lord, and she knew that Iroh was right when he said that it had to be him. But that didn’t stop her heart from breaking. How could they possibly be together now? He would have to marry some Fire Nation noble girl and spend his life cooped up in the Capital. She didn’t fit into that sort of life, and even if she could, the people of the Fire Nation would never accept a nobody from the Water Tribe.

She sobbed, clutching at her chest, trying to ease the ache in her heart. They had only been together for a few days, so logically she knew that she should just let him go and move on. But it felt like a piece of her soul had been torn away. 

Suddenly the tent was flooded with early morning light, and a shadow blocked the entrance. Katara quickly wiped away her tears and busied herself with her pack, not bothering to turn around. She knew who it was. 

“Are you okay?” Zuko asked, moving into the tent to sit next to her. 

“Yeah, fine,” she replied unconvincingly. “I just wanted to make sure I had everything ready.”

He sat in silence, watching her shove clothes and supplies unceremoniously into her pack. When she had finished and fastened it closed she stared down at it, unsure what to do next. She knew he was aware that she was lying, and she knew he was waiting patiently for her to be honest with him. She sighed and pushed her pack away. Zuko reached out and took her hands in his, watching her thoughtfully. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said softly. 

She didn’t even know where to begin. She felt selfish and stupid, but as she looked up into his warm, supportive gaze, she felt her trepidation melt away. Selfish or not, he would understand. 

“I… suppose we won’t be travelling the world now,” she said softly. 

He smiled sadly, then drew her into his arms. She went readily, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She wished she could stay in his arms forever. She buried her face in his shoulder, willing herself not to cry. Zuko kissed the top of her head softly and breathed deep, taking in her scent as if he were trying to memorize it. It was then that she realized he also knew they could never be together. 

“Excuse me, Prince Zuko? Are you in there?” a voice called, interrupting their solitude. 

“Yes… what is it?” Zuko called back, annoyed. 

“My lord, General Iroh sent me to inform you and Master Katara that the others are ready to leave.”

“Alright, we will be right there,” Zuko replied. “Please inform my uncle.”

“Yes, Prince Zuko.” 

They heard the man turn and stride away to follow orders, and Katara sighed. 

“ _Prince_ Zuko…” Katara echoed. “It’s so strange to hear, now that I know you.” 

Zuko flinched slightly as she said it, and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. “You never have to call me that, Katara. In fact I would really rather you don’t. I’m still just… me.”

Katara gave him a sad smile. “And you will be an incredible Fire Lord. No matter what, I have faith in you… and I am so, so proud of you.”

Zuko smiled shyly, blushing. He leaned in and kissed her longingly, but pulled away after only a moment. “We should get going.” 

Katara nodded, her lips tingling. “Yeah.” 

He stood and offered her his hand, and after one last, longing look, they exited the tent and headed towards their friends. 

XXXX

After they had all said their goodbyes, Zuko and Katara headed out on Appa towards the Fire Nation Capital. Zuko had taken the reins, staring silently out at the horizon towards his destiny. Katara had settled into the saddle, lost in her own thoughts. 

Zuko knew that she was hurting. He knew her heart was breaking, and he didn’t know what to do to comfort her. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that they would figure out a way to be together. But everything was different now, and he didn’t want to make promises that he couldn’t keep. He knew without a doubt that he loved her. He loved her so much that seeing her so hurt nearly broke him. He wouldn’t have any sort of answers for her until after they won. He could ask her to stay, and court her publicly. But would the citizens accept her? And what of the nobility? They could make her life miserable. The people of the Fire Nation would have enough sudden changes to contend with, and he wasn’t sure the idea of a Waterbender as their potential Fire Lady would sit well with any of them. 

On the other hand, how could he possibly live without her? She made him feel whole. She made him strive every day to be worthy of her, and that made him a better person. He wouldn’t be the same without her, but he also knew it would destroy him to see her unhappy. How could he possibly justify keeping her stuck in the Fire Nation, among people who thought of her as lesser, simply for his own happiness? He loved and respected her too much to be selfish. She deserved to be free. 

After a while, Katara climbed over the side of the saddle and nestled in next to him. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Before they could decide anything, they had to survive. He had to focus on the battle ahead, and not on what came after. They both did. 

“Are you scared?” she asked suddenly. 

He wasn’t sure if she meant the fight with Azula, or to take the throne, but the answer was the same regardless. “Yes. Terrified.” 

She sighed, and nodded. “Me too.”

Zuko looked up at the sky with trepidation. He could feel the comet coming. It was so close, and with each passing moment, the power within him grew. Never in his life had he felt so much raw power, not even when he had redirected lightning, and he knew it was only going to grow stronger. 

Katara followed his gaze, frowning as the sky grew steadily redder. “I guess it won’t be much longer now,” she said. 

He shook his head. “It’s already started,” he replied darkly. 

She turned her gaze to him, eyes wide. “You can already feel it?” 

“It’s been growing steadily for a while now. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s like… well, I suppose it’s similar to being swallowed by the sea in a raging storm. It’s overwhelming, and I feel like my body isn’t strong enough to contain the strength of it.”

“If anyone can, it’s you Zuko. I have faith in you.” 

He looked down at her, fixing his eyes on hers. “With you by my side, I can do anything,” he whispered. 

She sighed sadly, reaching up to cup his cheek with her hand for a moment, then pulled away, staring out at the horizon. They flew for a while in silence, both alone in their thoughts. With each passing minute the power of the comet grew stronger, until finally the whole sky was dark and red and he felt an inferno inside him. Suddenly he realized that if his power had grown this much, that would mean his father’s would have too. He hoped Aang was ready for it. 

Katara had clearly seen the concern on his face, and she finally broke her silence. “Zuko, don’t worry. We can take Azula.”

“I’m not worried about her, I’m worried about Aang. What if he doesn’t have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?”

She fixed her eyes on him, giving him that familiar, determined look he had grown to love so much. “Aang won’t lose. He’s gunna come back… he has to.” 

He could sense her doubt, but he knew better than to point it out. When Katara was resolute about something, not even she could convince herself to lose hope. 

The Capital loomed on the horizon, the Caldera silhouetted in the red-stained light of the sky. Within minutes they would arrive, and the fight would begin. Zuko knew that by the time it was all over he would either be Fire Lord, or he would be dead. Either way, he had only a few precious moments left as just plain Zuko, and he intended to make them count. 

“Katara, no matter what happens today, I want you to know just how much you mean to me,” he started, taking her hands in his. 

“Zuko…” 

“Wait, let me finish,” he said, cutting her off. “I never thought I would ever love someone the way I love you. and I do, Katara. I _love_ you. And no matter what tomorrow brings, I will never stop loving you for as long as I draw breath, probably not even then.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, at a loss for words. But determined as she ever was to be brave, she swallowed hard. “I love you too,” she whispered. 

He grinned, and then swept her up into a passionate kiss. For all he knew, it was their last, so he intended to make it count. He felt her melt into him, and she grasped the front of his shirt, pulling him close. He wove his fingers through her hair, savouring the taste of her lips, the warmth of her body pressed against his. Eventually they broke apart, both panting slightly with exertion and desire. He pressed his forehead against hers and breathed in deep, letting the scent of sea salt and flowers engulf him. 

“Always and forever,” he whispered. 

She smiled, but there was pain in her eyes. “Always and forever.”

They could see the palace now, and as they approached, Katara scrambled back up into the saddle, checking her waterskins. Zuko took a deep, calming breath, then led Appa in for the landing. 

It seemed they had arrived right on time. The Fire Sage running the crowning ceremony had just begun to lower the crown to Azula’s head when he froze, having spotted Appa approaching. 

“What are you waiting for? Do it!” he heard Azula hiss. 

Appa let out a bellow as they landed, drawing the Fire Princess’s attention. Zuko stood, bathed in the red glow of the comet. 

“Sorry, but you’re not going to become Fire Lord today,” he said fiercely. He jumped to the ground and faced her head on. “I am.” 

Azula grinned and laughed maliciously. “You’re hilarious.”

Zuko felt Katara’s presence beside him, strong and resolute. “And you’re going down,” she replied.” 

Confused, the Fire Sage moved to place the crown once more, but Azula waved him away. “Wait,” she said, getting to her feet. “You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let’s settle this, just you and me, _brother_. The showdown that was always meant to be. _Agni Kai_.” 

Zuko knew that she couldn’t beat both of them, and she knew that Azula knew it too. This was her way of trying to gain the upper hand, but there was something… wrong with her. She had all the pretense of her confident, aggressive self, but she seemed somehow… broken.

“You’re on,” he agreed. 

Katara turned to him, shocked. “What are you doing? She’s playing you! She knows she can’t take us both, so she’s trying to separate us!” 

“I know, but I can take her this time.”

“But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula,” Katara argued. 

“There’s something off about her. I can’t explain it, but she’s slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt.” 

He turned to her with a pointed look. He refused to put her life in danger unless it was necessary. Her expression softened, and he knew that she understood. She nodded.

“I’ll be right here, ready to back you up,” she said.

“Are we doing this or what?” Azula called impatiently. 

Zuko stepped forward. “I accept your challenge, Azula. An Agni Kai, for the throne.”

She grinned maniacally, stepping down into the courtyard below. “I agree to your terms.” 

They walked to opposite ends of the courtyard, taking their positions. Katara got Appa safely out of the way, then lingered nearby, watching with trepidation. 

Azula stood and turned to face him, dramatically dropping her cloak. “I’m sorry it has to end this way, _brother_ ,” she spat sarcastically. 

“No you’re not,” Zuko replied, taking a fighting stance. 

She smirked, taking her fighting stance as well. There was a moment of stillness that rang silent across the courtyard; a moment that lasted a lifetime’s worth of shared memories. Then without warning, she struck. 

Azula sent a blast of hot blue flame towards him. Zuko jumped forward, bringing his hands down and summoning twin flames that burst forth to meet her blast. The two attacks collided in mid-air, sending an explosion of multi-coloured flame skyward. Zuko was awed by the sheer force and size of the flames, watching the fire grow and create a huge wall of fire between them. As the flames dissipated, he saw his sister launch herself into the air and kick her legs forward, sending a barrage of flames towards him as she kicked. 

Zuko stood his ground, matching each attack with a blast of his own. Her attacks were erratic, but that made them all the more easy to predict. They fired shot after shot, sending burning flames in every direction as they parried each other’s attacks. 

He punched his arm forward, sending a jet of fire in her direction. She met it with an attack of her own, and the flames jettisoned off of each other. Zuko could feel the heat as a wall of flame blasted past him, but yet he stood his ground. He was in complete control, and they both knew it. He steadied his feet, letting the attack dissipate around them. In the distance he saw Azula look behind her to where Zuko’s flames had narrowly missed hitting her. Even from where he stood, he could see the fear on her face. 

With desperate resolve, she ran forward and launched herself into the air with a fiery blast, spinning mid-air to direct the attack towards Zuko. Once again, he stood his ground. He spun, crossing his arms across his body. As the flames approached, he dropped his arms and stomped the ground to root himself, facing the flames head on and redirecting them to either side of him. 

Azula knelt before him, panting heavily. She was beaten, and she knew it. Zuko had never in his life felt more in control, and he knew that she couldn’t possibly beat him. It was time to end this. He shot another stream of fire towards her, and her eyes grew wide as she barely leapt out of the way to avoid the attack. She recovered quickly, bending jets of fire from her feet to propel herself forward. She launched an attack at him, but he blasted himself into the air with ease, retaliating with a spinning kick that sent an arc of flame towards his sister. He followed it immediately with another column of fire, sending it crashing down towards her as he landed. 

Azula skated circles around him as they traded blows, but still Zuko refused to run. He stood grounded, fending off each attack and matching it with one of his own. Seeing an opening, he spun low, sending another arc of fire spinning across the ground. It caught her off guard, and she crashed hard, rolling violently across the courtyard. She stumbled stubbornly to her feet, panting. 

“No lightning today?” Zuko called, goading her. It was time to put her down once and for all. “What’s the matter, afraid I’ll redirect it?” 

She scowled hatefully at him. “Oh, I’ll show you _lightning_ ,” she called back angrily. 

Zuko centered himself, taking a deep breath as lightning began to crackle between her fingers. He was ready. But as the lightning crackled around her, he noticed a shift. It was ever so subtle, and he might not have even noticed if it hadn’t been for the stark white light illuminating her face. But at the very last second, he saw her eyes shift, fixing on something behind him. He didn’t have to look to know who. 

Before he could even think, she smirked and fired the lightning, aiming past him. He felt as if the world around him froze, and there was nothing but the bolt of deadly lightning headed directly for the girl he loved. 

Without a second thought, he turned and ran, leaping in front of the bolt. He reached out his arm to catch the lightning, drawing it along his chi as his uncle had taught him. But he wasn’t rooted anymore. The stance and motions for redirection were so precise, and he had gotten it all wrong. He felt the lightning tear through every nerve in his body until it finally released, shooting up into the air. He hit the ground hard, his whole body twitching and seizing in agony. He groaned, rolling onto his back, and the last thing he heard was Katara calling his name before he succumbed to darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took longer than the others; I was doing NaNoWriMo and got super busy. But it's over now and I am less swamped!
> 
> Before you read this chapter, I want to remind you that this is a 2 part story ~ ^_^; 
> 
> Please read the notes at the end!

Katara had watched the fight from the sidelines, her eyes wide as she took in each magnificent blast. She had never seen such raw, intimidating power before, and it was terrifying. But Zuko… he handled it with such ease. He was so focused, so steady, and as the battle raged on it was clear that he had been right; Azula didn’t stand a chance. 

He sent an arc of flame towards her, knocking her to the ground and she was certain the battle was won. But Azula got to her feet once more. 

“No lightning today?” she heard him call. 

She gasped, cursing him for goading his sister in such a way. She had been there when Zuko had explained redirection to Aang, and she had been listening when he had explained just how dangerous it was. Why would he invite her to attack him with it? She felt herself running forward. She wasn’t sure why; if she wanted to stop him or just be close by in case he got hurt, but her feet moved without thought. 

Katara’s eyes were fixed on Zuko, watching him with dread as he took his stance and prepared himself for the attack. She had been so focused on him, that she hadn’t even noticed Azula’s eyes on her. 

Zuko suddenly moved. She looked towards the lightning bolt, realizing with cold fear that it was coming straight for her. 

“Noooooo!” She heard Zuko scream. 

Before she could even release the breath that had caught in her throat, she saw him jump in front of the attack, seizing in mid air for a moment as the lightning coursed through his body. She watched in horror as he crashed to the ground, lightning still crackling around him. It wasn't until he rolled over with a groan that she finally found her feet again. 

“Zuko!” she cried, running forward. 

But her path was blocked by another blast of lightning. She barely dodged it, leaping back as Azula laughed maniacally. Katara had barely recovered from the near miss when she saw Azula charge forward, firing another bolt in her direction. Katara dodged again, but this time the noise seemed to draw Zuko back to consciousness. He rolled over onto his stomach, trying feebly to push himself up. Katara made for him again, summoning water into her hands to heal him, but was blocked by a sudden wall of blue flame. 

She stopped in her tracks, barely avoiding the attack, when the flames suddenly parted and Azula shot another arc of lightning at her. She turned and ran, looking for cover, diving and rolling out of the way as another shot came towards her. She crouched low, prepared for another attack, but Azula landed on the roof nearby with a laugh. 

I’d really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu, if you don’t mind,” she called, summoning more lightning to dance around her. 

Azula fired it towards Katara, forcing her once again to run. She bolted for a pillar that held up the roof of the pavilion, narrowly dodging blasts of hot fire. There was a brief respite, and Katara chanced a look into the courtyard. Zuko was still stirring feebly, trying in vain to get to her. 

“Zuzu, you don’t look so good,” Azula taunted. 

Katara knew she was trying to draw her out, but she needed to do something. Azula spotted her and sent another blast of lightning her way, and Katara ran to the next pillar for cover. She sensed water nearby, and without a second thought she stepped out from behind the pillar, bending the water up out of the nearby trough. She guided the pillar of water towards her, then out towards where Azula was, but the water hit nothing but an empty roof. She looked for any sign of the Fire Princess, but Azula found her first, appearing behind her, propelling herself forward with blue jets of flame from her hands and feet. 

She ran again, this time pulling more water from the trough over the side and forming it into ice before her. She leapt onto the ice, using the momentum and her bending to skate around the courtyard and out of the way of Azula’s attacks. She circled around the flames until she reached the other side of the courtyard, diving under the pavilion to avoid another blast of fire. She landed with a grunt, but immediately felt the pull of her element from below her. She looked down and saw a grate covering a steady stream of water. An idea struck her, and she looked up, spotting a long chain hanging nearby. Perfect.

Her plan set, she ran forward, grabbing the chain off the wall just as Azula swooped down into the pavilion. 

“There you are, filthy peasant,” she spat.

Katara turned and faced her, standing just on the edge of the grate. She waited, terrified and resolute, for the perfect moment to strike. Azula stepped forward, her eyes narrowed, and Katara glared at her in response. She acted swiftly, sending tendrils of water towards the Firebender, causing her to roll forward to dodge; right where Katara wanted her to be. She side-stepped onto the grate, moving in close to Azula. 

The Princess flung her arm forward, ready to strike with lightning once more. But before she had the chance, Katara leapt into the air, bringing the water from below up with her. It engulfed them both, and instantly froze into a wave of ice. Azula was visibly shocked, and seemed to panic as she realized all she could move were her eyes. Katara stared at her for a moment, then breathed out, bending the ice back into water around her. She lowered her hands and wrapped the chain around one of Azula’s wrists, then gracefully moved through the water, bending it around them to keep her prisoner frozen in place as Katara bound her arms behind her back with the chain. She pulled Azula down, securing her bound wrists to the grate below, then released the water with one swift motion. It crashed down around them, flooding out into the courtyard, both girls gasping for breath. 

Katara recovered first, reaching over to tighten the chains and ensure that they were secure, then she stood and ran towards Zuko. He was laying on his stomach in the middle of the courtyard, groaning in pain. She dropped to her knees next to him, gently rolling him over. There was a large scar on his chest, and the sight of it terrified her. She grabbed her waterskin and urgently drew water out of it into her hands, placing them gently over the mark. She closed her eyes, focusing with all her strength on opening the blocked chi within his body, allowing the energy within him to flow around the wound and heal him. She couldn’t lose him… she wouldn’t survive it. 

He groaned in pain and she looked up at him, relief flooding through every nerve in her body as she saw him smile. How she loved that smile.

“Thank you Katara,” he whispered softly. 

Tears flowed from her eyes, and she smiled back at him. “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

With effort he sat up, looking around the courtyard. Katara helped him to his feet, supporting him as they stood watching Azula spit fire as she struggled against her chains. After a moment, she broke down sobbing, and Katara felt an unexpected pity for her. She looked to Zuko, and saw the sadness in his features. Whatever she may be, Azula was still his sister. 

Zuko turned away from her and looked around the courtyard. Katara wasn’t sure what he was looking for until she spotted several of the Sages huddling near the palace stairs. She supposed they had been watching the fight, though she hadn’t noticed them at all. With great effort, Zuko crossed the courtyard and strode towards them. Katara could tell it was taking every ounce of his strength to walk with his head held high, commanding the authority worthy of a leader, but she didn’t dare scold him for it. She knew the next few moments would be vital. 

“The battle is over; Azula is defeated. Do you acknowledge the terms of the Agni Kai?” he asked, his voice ringing out clear and loud. 

The Sages exchanged brief looks, then one of them stepped forward. Katara recognized him as the man who had been about to crown Azula before they arrived. He walked over to Zuko, his eyes briefly flickering towards Katara. He stopped before them, giving Zuko the traditional Fire Nation bow. 

“The Fire Sages hereby recognize the victory of Prince Zuko over his sister, Princess Azula, and declare him the new Fire Lord. All hail Fire Lord Zuko,” the man replied, his voice echoing through the courtyard. 

“All hail Fire Lord Zuko,” the other sages repeated, bowing respectfully. 

Katara heard Zuko breathe a small sigh of relief, and she let the feeling wash over her too. It was over, and they had won. 

Suddenly they were surrounded by palace guards. Katara tensed, ready for a fight, but before she could draw water from her waterskin, the guards bowed respectfully. A woman stepped forward, standing at attention. 

“What are your orders, my lord?” she asked. 

Without missing a beat, Zuko seemed to slide right into his role. “Take my sister to the dungeon for now, and make sure she is bound and secure. She is extremely dangerous, and she _will_ try to escape. Once you are done, send word to every Fire Nation troupe, colony, and outpost, informing them to cease all hostilities immediately, by decree of the Fire Lord. If they have any issues with that order, please invite them to take it up with me personally.”

The woman bowed again, then stepped back and gestured for the guards to carry out their orders. Katara watched with awe, impressed that they fell in line so quickly. But she knew that an Agni Kai was an honour duel, and something that was taken very seriously in the Fire Nation. She supposed that it was respect for that tradition that made the Sages and guards so compliant. 

Zuko turned to the Sages and addressed them next. “Spread word of what happened here throughout the palace and the city. Tell them that I have defeated Azula, and the Avatar is shortly to defeat my father. This war is over, and it is time to work towards peace.”

The Sages all bowed respectfully, and turned to obey. Zuko stood, watching the guards take Azula away, then took Aang’s bison whistle out of his pocket and blew on it once. Appa appeared almost instantly, landing next to them and giving Zuko an affectionate lick. Zuko patted his nose. 

“Go find Aang and the others, and bring them back here,” he instructed. 

Appa licked him again, then took off and flew back towards the Earth Kingdom, leaving Zuko and Katara alone in the courtyard. He turned to Katara with a grimace.

“I really need to lie down,” he said. 

“Yes, you really do,” she agreed with a small smile. 

She snaked her arm around his waist to support him, and he led her into the palace. It was eerily quiet and empty. Zuko made his way across the grand foyer and headed towards the stairs, looking around in confusion. Just as they reached the staircase, a young woman emerged from a nearby room carrying a bundle of towels. She froze in her tracks at the sight of them, nearly dropping her load. 

“P-Prince Zuko!” she exclaimed, fumbling to give an appropriate bow. 

He waved his hand dismissively. “What happened here? Where is everyone?” he asked. 

“Er.. your sister- that is, Princess Azula, she sent most of the staff away, my lord.”

“She sent them away? Everyone?”

“Yes, Prince Zuko. She… banished them.” 

“Why?” 

“I… I’m not sure, my lord,” she replied, her eyes darting between Zuko and Katara .

Zuko sighed. “I’m not sure who is in charge of the staff, but could you please pass on a message to rehire everyone who was banished by my sister? Tell them the new Fire Lord has sanctioned it, and invites them all back personally with his sincerest apologies.” 

The girl’s eyes grew wide, and she nodded slowly. “Y-yes Pri- er, Fire Lord Zuko. As you wish.”

“In the meantime I need to attend to my injury. The Avatar and several of our friends should be arriving shortly; can you please pass on the word to come and inform me the moment they arrive?” 

“The _Avatar_?” the girl repeated. 

“Yes, Avatar Aang. He and my other friends are to be treated as honoured guests.”

The servant’s eyes fell on Katara again with a curious look. Katara smiled awkwardly at her. Zuko followed her gaze, and Katara saw a small smirk form on his lips. 

“This is Master Katara, daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water tribe. If there is anyone else in the palace in need of healing, she is more than capable of assisting with her Waterbending. I expect her to be treated with honour and respect while she is here.” 

The girl’s eyes grew wide once more, her confusion growing. She bowed awkwardly to Katara, which in turn made her feel extremely awkward. If Zuko hadn’t been recently injured, she would have kicked him. 

“If that’s all my lord, I will take your leave,” the girl said, still clearly confused. 

“That is all, thank you,” Zuko replied. 

She bowed to them both, then scurried off to follow her orders. Katara looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I see this comes naturally to you,” she joked. 

“I did grow up here you know. I wasn’t always a banished Prince,” he replied. 

He started up the stairs, leaning on Katara for support. 

“You don’t have to make me sound so fancy, by the way. Just… ‘Katara’ is fine,” she said. 

“You aren’t _just_ anything, you are everything I said and more. And you deserve the praise, so just enjoy it.”

Katara snorted. “Yes, your highness,” she teased. 

He smirked, clutching at his chest as they ascended the stairs. Once they reached the landing, he led her through a maze of corridors. She tried to keep track, but each hallway seemed to be the same, and she soon lost her way. Zuko however seemed to know exactly where he was going, and before long he had pushed open a heavy door and led her into a large bedroom. 

She could only assume that it was his room, and she stopped for a moment to marvel at the size. She could fit her whole hut in the room four times over. Zuko let out a small groan and she snapped back to focus, leading him over to the bed and helping him down. He fell onto the mattress with a pained groan, laying flat on his back. 

“I suppose this is dumb of me to ask, but how are you feeling?” Katara asked, gently running her fingers over the scar on his abdomen. 

He closed his eyes at her touch, giving a soft sigh. “I’ve been better, but thanks to you I’m alive.”

She blushed. “You saved me first.” 

He opened one eye, giving her a soft smile. “Like I had a choice.”

“You did though… and frankly it was the wrong one,” Katara said sadly. “You came to fight Azula for a reason… what would have happened if you had… if you didn’t survive?”

Zuko opened both eyes and sat up slightly, grimacing with the effort. “No Katara, I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t even have time to think. It was pure instinct, and if we are being frank with one another, then let me tell _you_ that if that lightning had killed you, I wouldn’t have survived long enough to regret not saving you.”

Katara scoffed. “You could have taken Azula out without me. You almost did.”

“Not if I had died of a broken heart first.” 

She fell silent, and turned her eyes to the floor. She wanted to scold him for putting her life before his duty, but she couldn’t do so without being a hypocrite. She would have done the same for him. 

Looking for a distraction, she pulled some more water out of her waterskin, letting it surround her hands. She gently placed them over Zuko’s wound, and focused on healing him, trying to take away some of his pain. He watched her with an amused look for a moment, then collapsed back onto his pillow, closing his eyes at the cooling sensation of the healing water. Once she had done what she could, she let her hands drop into her lap. 

“I need to find some bandages,” she said suddenly. 

“There should be some medical supplies in that cabinet over there,” Zuko replied, pointing.

“Why do you have medical supplies in your room?” Katara asked curiously as she got up and crossed to the cabinet. 

“I live with Azula,” he joked. “And I have a habit of getting hurt. It was easier to just patch myself up instead of bothering the healers every time I fell out of a tree, got a burn, or cut myself.” 

Katara rummaged through the cabinet, finding bandages and a few medicinal salves. She found one for burns and twisted off the lid, giving it a sniff. It seemed to be okay, so she grabbed it too. She wasn’t sure it would help for a lightning scar, but it might numb the wound a little, and that was good enough. 

She returned to him, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I need to get your shirt off,” she said. 

He smirked at her mischievously. “If you insist.” 

Katara blushed, and she scowled at him. “Zuko, now is not the time to flirt!” 

He grinned as she chastised him, and she rolled her eyes. Katara helped him sit up so she could slip off the ruined scraps of this tunic, then gently pushed him back down onto his back. She spread some of the burn salve onto the wound, blushing as she noticed him watching her with a cheeky look. She supposed he was just happy to be alive, but it was very distracting. She sat him up again and began bandaging his torso, her blush growing at the proximity between them. Once she had secured the bandage, she tried to push him back down but he reached up and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face against her neck. She closed her eyes, instinctively wrapping her arms around him in return. Katara sighed. She was supposed to be letting him go, but it was proving difficult. 

“I’m so tired…” Zuko muttered, nuzzling into her shoulder. 

“I bet you are, it was a rough fight,” Katara replied. “You should lie down and get some rest.” 

“Will you stay with me?” he whispered. 

She was suddenly reminded of the night he was sick, and had asked her the same question. This time she knew what he meant right away. 

“Of course I will,” she whispered back, sighing softly. 

He lay back down, allowing Katara to pull the blankets up over him. She kicked off her shoes and got into the bed next to him, gently draping her arm over his chest. He pulled her into his arms, groaning slightly as he adjusted his position, then buried his face into her hair again. He fell asleep almost instantly, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She wanted this, every day for the rest of her life. She tried to picture her life without Zuko, and the only thing it brought was an ache to her heart. But when she tried to picture her life with him, all she saw was strife. 

She had noted how Zuko had to order his servants to treat her and their friends with respect; something she suspected they would not have received otherwise. Would he have to spend their whole lives together forcing people to be nice to her? She very much doubted that the people of the Fire Nation would accept her as the Fire Lord’s girlfriend, and maybe someday their Fire Lady, if they all thought of her as a Waterbending peasant. And Zuko had made her sound so impressive, calling attention to the fact that her father was the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, but what would that mean to any of them? She wasn’t a princess, she was just a girl from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere who happened to be blessed with a talent for Waterbending. 

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. It wasn’t fair to Zuko. He deserved to be with someone he didn’t have to constantly defend, someone who his people would love and respect without being forced. And she deserved more too. She loved him and she knew she always would, but she also knew that she loved him enough that she couldn’t be selfish. She loved him enough to let him go. 

She awoke a few hours later to a knock at the door. She hadn’t even realized she had drifted off, but she knew it must have been for some time, as the red-tinted sky was now inky black and littered with stars. The comet had passed; it was officially over. 

“Zuko, wake up. Someone’s at the door,” she whispered, stroking his face gently. 

He stirred and let out a small groan of protest, opening his eyes sleepily. There was another knock at the door, and this time Zuko heard it too. He sighed and sat up.

“Yes, what is it?” he called.

“My lord, the Avatar and his friends have arrived,” came a voice on the other side of the door. 

Katara and Zuko exchanged a nervous look. 

“Please make them comfortable; we will be right down,” Zuko replied. 

“Yes my lord!” 

They listened as his footsteps disappeared down the hall, then Katara scrambled out of the bed and helped Zuko up. He shuffled over to a wardrobe and rifled through it, pulling out a clean tunic. Katara helped him into it, and together they headed back downstairs. There was a servant waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, and he led them into a small sitting room off of the main foyer. 

When they entered, Suki leapt up and ran to them, pulling them into an embrace. Zuko let out a yelp of pain, and she immediately jumped back, apologising. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” she asked. 

“I’ll be fine,” Zuko replied, clutching his bandaged abdomen. 

Katara looked around at her friends; Toph was standing as well, grinning happily, but Aang and Sokka were still seated. Katara could see that Sokka’s leg was bandaged and he had a crutch leaning on the chair next to him, and she frowned. Aang however, sat silently with his eyes closed. There was something different about him, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“Nevermind us, what happened with you?” Katara asked. “Is the Fire Lord…?”

“Dead? Nope,” Toph replied. “Aang did this super creepy, Lion Turtle, Avatar thing to him and took his bending away.” 

Katara blinked at her, unsure she had heard correctly. “I’m sorry… what?” 

Aang finally opened his eyes, and he stood. “It’s true. I figured out how to defeat the Fire Lord without taking his life. I took his bending instead.” 

Katara and Zuko exchanged hesitant looks. That was something new, and it was terrifying. 

“So where is he now?” Zuko asked. 

“When we landed a bunch of guards surrounded us,” Sokka said. “We thought we’d have to fight, but they bowed to Aang and greeted us. That’s how we knew you must have won.”

“The guards offered to take the Fire Lord to the dungeon for us. They said the new Fire Lord would have wanted him locked away for the time being,” Suki added. “Don’t worry, I marched him down there myself and watched them lock the bastard away.”

Katara felt Zuko sway next to her, and she wrapped her arm around him without thinking. He smiled at her, letting her lead him into a seat. They all followed his lead and sat, eager to exchange stories. Sokka enthusiastically explained how he, Suki, and Toph took out the airships, and detailed the battle between Aang and Ozai from their vantage point. Aang filled in some details here and there, but otherwise remained fairly silent. Once they were done, Zuko and Katara filled them in on their battle with Azula. 

“So wait… the winner of the Agni Kai was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord, right?” Toph asked once they finished explaining how Katara defeated Azula. 

“Yes, those were the terms,” Zuko confirmed. 

“So shouldn’t Katara be the new Fire Lord?” 

Katara flushed, and Zuko looked over at her with a smirk. “I suppose she was the one who officially won the battle,” he said. “But in this case she would be considered my second, so the victory still goes to me unfortunately.”

“Second?” Suki asked.

“Basically my back up. During an Agni Kai, each participant can declare a second, someone who will jump in to continue the fight if the challenger can’t fight anymore. It doesn’t happen often, as Agni Kai are usually used to fight personal matters or as honour duels, but Katara arrived ready to fight by my side so she would be recognized as my chosen second.” 

“Well that’s not fair, she did the hard part,” Sokka said.

Zuko laughed, then groaned, clutching his side. Katara frowned at him. 

“I agree, Sokka,” he said through gritted teeth. “She deserves more recognition for her victory. I’d be dead without her.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Katara interjected, embarrassed. “I’m not Fire Nation, nor am I royalty. They’d never make me _Fire Lord_. Besides, Zuko is far better suited to the job.” 

“I don’t know, I think you’d make a fantastic leader,” Zuko said, giving her a sly smile. 

She blushed, shocked that he would flirt with her so obviously in front of everyone. Luckily nobody seemed to notice except for Suki, who raised an eyebrow at the two of them. Katara sank into her seat as Toph and Sokka continued to argue the validity of a Waterbender as the Fire Lord. 

After a while they all started yawning, so Zuko summoned a servant to have rooms made up for all of them. They all said goodnight, venturing off to their various beds. Katara was grateful for the solace. Zuko was not making her decision easy, and she kept finding herself slipping back into couple-y behaviour without thinking. The moment she was alone she stripped down to her underclothes and buried herself in the blankets of the large, four poster bed. Now that she was entirely alone, there was nothing left to hold her together, so she allowed herself to fall apart. She grasped her pillow, clutching it to her as she sobbed heavily. She cried and cried until her lungs burned and her throat ached. She knew that letting Zuko go would be the best decision for them both, but that didn’t mean it didn’t shatter her heart into a thousand pieces. Maybe one day she would find someone else, someone she could allow herself to love. But she knew in her soul that nobody else would ever compare.

XXXX

The next several days passed in a chaotic flurry. Despite the fact that he was still recovering from his injury, Zuko had been incredibly busy greeting guests, giving orders, and rearranging the nobles and generals that made up his Council. His uncle had arrived a few days after the comet, and Zuko was grateful for his help. He seemed to know exactly what to do, and handled much of the logistics for his nephew. But Zuko still had plenty to do on his own, least of all planning his coronation. 

Over the days that followed the comet, people from all over began to arrive. All of their friends and allies that they had made along the way, important nobles, royals, and diplomats from the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom, and it seemed that every citizen of the Fire Nation had trekked to the Capital to see their new, young Fire Lord. But the only person he truly _wanted_ to see seemed to elude him. 

Zuko still couldn’t make up his mind when it came to Katara. He had been set on letting her go so she could live the kind of life she wanted, but after the battle with Azula everything changed. After everything they had gone through, he knew he would never feel whole without her. But every time he set his resolve to figure out a way to make their relationship work, he thought about how unhappy she would be bound by rules, traditions, and the constant scrutiny that even he was sure to face. Being a prince was challenging and restrictive enough, but being the ruler of an entire nation amplified all of those challenges tenfold. At least he had some experience with it. She deserved to be free and happy, and he doubted she would be if she were stuck in the Fire Nation. And he certainly would never be happy knowing she was miserable. It was better to break her heart now while it could still heal and they could still be friends than trap her in a life she would regret and eventually resent him for.

After arguing with his conscience for so long it gave him a headache, he decided the only answer was to ask her what she wanted. But every time he tried to get her alone, she had some excuse at the ready. After a few days of this he was certain that she was avoiding him, and he had a suspicion it was for the same reason he had been trying to get her alone. He could only conclude that she didn’t want the kind of life that she would have with him, and it was easier on her heart to stay away. He had no doubt that she loved him too, but that made it hurt all the more. 

The days passed swiftly and before he knew it his coronation was upon them. Zuko had risen early as usual, though this time it was due to nerves. He bathed, dressed, and had breakfast before the sun had even fully peaked over the cliffs of the caldera. With nothing else to do, he paced his room, trying to remember the speech he had prepared. He hated speaking in front of crowds, and he always got tripped up and said the wrong thing. He was determined to get it right. 

Eventually a servant knocked on his bedroom door to take him to prepare for the ceremony. Zuko followed him silently to a room with a large balcony overlooking the city, setting down his robes. 

“Would you like help dressing, my lord?” he asked.

“No, I’ll be fine, thanks,” he replied. 

The man bowed respectfully, then left Zuko alone to change. He stripped off the loose tunic and pants he had thrown on, then put on the pants and shoes that had been laid out. He picked up the long robe and draped it over his shoulders, pushing his arm through one of the sleeves. A sharp pain tore at his side and he groaned, regretting his choice to send the servant away. 

“You need some help with that?” a familiar voice ran out. 

Zuko turned, stunned to see Mai leaning against the doorframe behind him. She smiled, and crossed the room to join him. He smiled back at her, elated to see that she was alive and well.

“Mai! You’re okay! They let you out of prison?” he asked, moving to meet her. 

“My uncle pulled some strings,” she replied, helping him into his robe. “And it doesn’t hurt when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend.” 

In that moment he knew he had a choice. He could turn Mai down and fight for Katara, potentially breaking three hearts in the process, or he could let Katara go once and for all, and choose the easy option and take Mai back. He wished that he had been able to talk to Katara and at least hear from her mouth what her decision was, but as she had avoided him for days he had no choice but to make the decision for them both. He chose to let her go.

“Does this mean you don’t hate me anymore?” he asked, his heart breaking behind his forced smile. 

“I think it means I actually kind of like you,” she replied, pulling him in for a kiss. 

It was all wrong. There was no fire, no magnetic pull. But it was at least familiar, and he could live with familiarity. The kiss was short, and when Mai pulled away she immediately scowled at him. Another familiarity he would have to live with.

“But don’t ever break up with me again,” she said, poking him hard in the chest. 

He grinned awkwardly at her, then pulled her in for an embrace. That at least, felt right. She was his friend before she was his girlfriend after all, and he was genuinely glad to see her. 

“Now, let’s finish getting you dressed. You don’t want to be late for your own coronation,” Mai said, pulling away. 

He gave a silent sigh, then followed Mai to allow her to help him finish getting ready. 

XXXX

After her first night in the Fire Nation, Katara had been steadfast in her decision to let Zuko go. But she had no clue just how long she would need to stay, and she at least wanted to stay until his coronation. So in order to protect her heart and resist temptation, she had done everything in her power to stay as far away from him as possible. It had been easy at first, as Zuko was incredibly busy. But then he started popping up everywhere she went, trying to get her alone. She had made all sorts of weak excuses, but had managed to successfully evade him for days. 

The morning of the coronation she had woken up early, though after getting ready for the day she had little else to do. She wandered through the palace, avoiding the servants who were rushing to and fro in a flurry, and made her way out to the garden. She had been going there often during her stay, sitting by the small pond and watching the turtle ducks swim. It was like a little oasis in the middle of all the chaos. 

She made her way there, sitting under a large tree next to the pond, curling her knees up to her chest. She watched the glittering water mournfully, feeling an impending sense of finality. Today was the last day that Zuko would ever be just himself. From this day forward, he would be the Fire Lord, and utterly unattainable to her. 

“Hey, are you okay?” a sudden voice asked. 

Katara jumped and looked up, spotting Suki standing over her. She let out a breath. “Spirits Suki, you scared me!” 

“I’m not surprised, you looked miles away,” she replied, sitting down next to Katara. “So what’s on your mind?” 

Katara shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Clearly it does; you look ready to drown yourself in the pond,” Suki replied, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s Zuko, isn’t it?” 

Katara glanced at her, both annoyed and relieved at Suki’s ability to read her so well. 

“What happened between you two? You seemed so happy, but you haven’t even looked at him in days, and you’ve been walking around like you’re not really here,” Suki prodded.

“We… we’re over,” Katara replied, tears welling in her eyes. 

Suki frowned. “I thought as much… but what _happened_?”

“Zuko agreed to be the Fire Lord.”

“So… you broke up with him?” 

“No, not quite like that. I just… I realized that our relationship could never work. He has to stay here ruling the Fire Nation. He’ll probably have his Council and all his people pushing him to marry some Fire Nation girl, and have little Fire Nation heirs… they would never accept someone like me as Zuko’s girlfriend. And I know he would push back, and it would cause him more trouble that he needs, and his people would start to resent him, and he would end up resenting me for it. I don’t _want_ to break up, but I also don’t want to selfishly put him through even more trouble than he is already going to face, so I had to let him go.” 

“What did he say?” Suki asked.

“What?” 

“You did talk to him about this, right? What did he say? Did he agree?” 

“Er… not exactly…” 

“Not exactly… he _didn’t_ agree?”

“No… I… I didn’t talk to him about it.”

“Katara!” Suki exclaimed, shooting to her feet. “Don’t be stupid! You can’t just make this decision for him!”

She looked up at Suki, shocked by her outburst. “Well… I…” 

“Well _nothing_ , Katara! You are being a coward, and that is not like you. Since when do you run away when something gets hard? Where is the Katara who stands up for what she believes in and shouts at people until they stop being idiots? Because _that_ Katara needs to give _this_ Katara a smack across the face,” Suki yelled. 

Katara’s mouth dropped, and all at once she felt both hot anger and cold shame. She didn’t appreciate Suki insulting her, but she knew she had a solid point. She let out a heavy sigh, getting to her feet. 

“Well… even if that’s true, I can’t do anything about it now. The coronation will be starting soon, and I probably won’t get the chance to talk to him for a while,” Katara said. 

“He’s probably still getting ready. Go to him now,” Suki replied, reigning in her temper. 

“ _Now_? This isn’t a conversation we can have in five minutes!” 

“Then wish him good luck, give him a kiss, and tell him to come find you when he has more time to spare.” 

Katara bit her lip, considering this. Suki really did have a point; she had been so determined to do what she thought was best for both of them that she never stopped to consider Zuko’s opinion on the matter. It really was a decision that they should have made together. 

She nodded resolutely. “Alright, I’ll go now.” She turned to head back into the palace, but froze, turning back to Suki momentarily. “Thanks Suki.”

“ _Go_!” Suki replied, shooing her away. 

Katara grinned at her and ran into the palace. She vaguely remembered the path to his bedroom, so she made a beeline for it, racing through the twisting hallways as fast as her feet would carry her. She reached his room and skidded to a halt, pounding on the door. She waited a moment, panting to catch her breath, then knocked again. 

“Zuko! I need to talk to you!” she called.

Silence was her answer. Frustrated, she pounded on the door again just as a servant came around the corner. The girl looked startled, and stared at Katara as if she had lost her mind. 

“Um… can I help you?” she asked. 

“Yes! I need to talk to Zuko urgently. Do you know where he is?” Katara asked, rounding on the girl.

“ _Fire Lord Zuko_ is preparing for his coronation, miss…?”

Katara glared at the girl, frustrated by her questioning and her condescending attitude. Luckily she had a card to play.

“ _Maste_ r Katara of the Southern Water Tribe,” she replied, emphasizing the fact that she was a bending master. “And a personal friend of _Zuko’s_.” 

The girl recognized the name immediately, and her eyes grew wide with fear. Katara supposed word had gotten around that she had been the one to take Azula down, and she intended to use that to her advantage. 

“I would appreciate it if you told me where I could find him,” Katara added, making it sound like more of a threat than a request. 

The servant gulped and nodded. She gave Katara brief instructions on how to find Zuko’s ready room, then gave her a curt bow and hurried off around the corner. Satisfied, Katara took off again. 

She found the room easily enough. Two guards were posted outside and confirmed that Zuko was still inside when she arrived. Luckily the guards recognized her the second she came barrelling down the hall, and let her pass without question. Katara took a deep breath, and strode the rest of the way down the hall. The door was ajar, and she could hear voices within. She supposed Zuko had servants helping him get ready, and thought nothing of it. But as she peeked around the door, her blood ran cold. 

It wasn’t a servant helping him, it was Mai. She stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. She watched Mai help him tie his robes, then to her complete and utter anguish, she leaned in and kissed him. And he kissed her back. 

She had thought the pain of letting him go was bad, but watching Zuko move on so readily made her feel like her body was about to cease functioning and drop her dead right on the floor. Every nerve in her body ached with bitter, overwhelming despair. She took a few steps backwards out of the doorway, letting out a gasping breath. She immediately clapped her hand over her mouth, not wanting to be heard, and then turned and ran.

She had no idea where she was going, she just knew she had to get as far away as possible before the torrent of emotion bubbling up within her was released. She ran and ran until she found a dark corner in an empty corridor, throwing herself against the wall for support as she let out a scream. Her legs gave out and she sank to the floor, shaking violently with sobs. 

Eventually she calmed down enough to take a few shaky breaths, wiping at her eyes with the hem of her tunic. The coronation would be starting soon, and she needed to be there. People were expecting her, and it wouldn’t do to be found crumpled in a heap on the floor weeping. She took another long, deep breath, and pushed all of her pain and sorrow down deep, locking it away until there was nothing but a numb emptiness left. That would have to do. 

She dried the rest of her tears and fixed her hair and clothes, then turned and marched down the hall. She was well and truly lost, and she knew the ceremony must be close to starting by the lack of servants to ask for directions. Eventually she came to a staircase and she followed it down, emerging somewhere near the kitchens on the first floor. She crept down another hallway, following it until it led her into the dining room. Finally she was somewhere familiar, and she was able to find her way back out into the foyer and out into the courtyard where the growing crowd was waiting. 

Sokka found her immediately, thankfully not noticing that anything was wrong, and together they wove their way through the crowd to find their father. Seeing him again allowed a little joy to break through to her heart, and she latched onto it to get through the day. Suki found them, followed by the other Kyoshi Warriors, which, much to everyone’s surprise, included Ty Lee. Once explanations were given and hugs were shared, Suki sidled up to Katara. 

“Well?” she whispered.

Katara swallowed hard and shook her head. “It’s over,” she replied. 

Suki looked shocked, but she reached out and gave Katara’s hand a squeeze. “What happened?” 

“I’m sorry Suki, but I really don’t want to talk about it, okay? He made his choice, and that’s all that matters.”

Suki nodded solemnly, giving her hand another squeeze before returning to the other Kyoshi Warriors. 

The ceremony started with a crashing gong, pulling her attention to the movement above her. She saw Zuko emerge, and the pain within her threatened to break through the numbness that kept it at bay. The crowd cheered enthusiastically, but he drew their praise towards Aang instead, who emerged behind him. 

Katara’s eyes fell on the young Airbender, looking fine in his Air Nomad robes. She couldn’t help but smile proudly. Despite everything, not even her broken heart could quell the appreciation she had for him and the end of the war. As she watched him she wondered if that appreciation could grow into love. She already loved him as a friend, so maybe real love could bloom from that if she just gave him a chance.

Zuko began speaking, but she barely heard a word. Her eyes were fixed on Aang as she mulled over the choice before her. Either she could let her broken heart destroy her, or she could give Aang a real chance. Even if she never grew to love him, she knew she would at least be with someone who wanted her. She could find happiness in that. 

As Zuko knelt down before the crowd and was crowned, Katara decided. Once the chaos of the coronation was over, she would go to Aang, and she would be his.

XXXX

Over the next few days, all of the guests from other nations began to trickle home, making the palace feel empty. Zuko was determined to have one last day with his friends however, so a plan was made for him to travel with them to Ba Sing Se, where his uncle had reopened his tea shop, and spend some time with them before they all went their separate ways. 

They arrived early in the day, spending a lazy afternoon chatting about all the things that had happened over the past few weeks. Zuko had invited Mai along as well, not wanting to make her feel unwelcome, but her presence was starting to annoy him. Nothing about their relationship felt right anymore. He had changed too much, and she was too much a part of a past he wanted to forget. He had started to think he had made a grave mistake choosing her instead of waiting to speak to Katara, and he was hoping to get her alone at last and finally ask her how she felt. 

Katara had been avoiding him as usual, but during the trip to Ba Sing Se he had expected that she would at least be forced to talk to him as part of the group. But she had remained silent for most of the trip, only talking occasionally to Suki. Once they arrived at the tea shop she had settled herself in an armchair, gazing silently out the window. 

They spent a lazy afternoon munching on food and lounging about, and Katara seemed to cheer somewhat as the day passed. He didn’t know if it was the relaxing atmosphere or the fact that she was surrounded by friends, but he hoped that it was a sign that he could get her to talk to him, or at least look at him. 

He decided to brew some tea, giving him something to focus on instead of staring at Katara. Once it was ready, he placed the mugs on a tray and moved about the room, passing them out to his friends. He approached Katara, who was standing near a table watching Mai and Suki play a game, and held the tray out to her with a smile. She looked up and smiled back at him as she took a mug, and he felt a flicker of hope. But then her smile faltered and she quickly turned her eyes away. He was about to say something to her when Sokka interrupted, causing her to move away to check out the drawing he had been working on. 

Everyone crowded around Sokka, criticising his awful artwork, laughing heartily together. It almost felt like being back at the beach house, when he was happy and laughter came easily. Sokka shooed them all away in annoyance, and everyone went back to their activities. Zuko returned to the tray and resumed handing out tea to the others, but he noticed Katara slip out onto the balcony. Seeing his chance, he quickly set the tray down, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching him, then he slipped out the door. 

Aang was already outside, and as Zuko moved onto the balcony he saw Katara walk over to him pull him into an embrace. He froze, feeling his heart drop. He stood silent, scarcely able to draw breath as he watched her pull back, then kiss him. Aang wrapped his arms around Katara eagerly, and they shared a lingering kiss in the fading sunset. 

Zuko had faced pain before, but losing his mother, having his face burned, not even getting shot with Azula’s lightning could come close to the pain he felt rend his soul. He swiftly turned away, unable to bear another moment. She had made her choice, and he had lost his chance for good. 

As the gang went their separate ways, Katara and Zuko did so with heavy hearts. They had both made their decisions, and they buried their regrets and fractured hearts in the idea that they were doing what was best for the other. But the lies we tell ourselves have a way of causing waves, affecting everything and everyone around them until the truth breaks free at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know! I'm sorry!! Reading your comments, I was SOOOO tempted to change the ending, but I have already written most on the second fic. I have already posted the first chapter, so please check it out if you want to read the continuation! Or you can head-canon a happy ending on this story and move on... I will understand lol
> 
> Part 2: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27977427


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